Geriatrics Commons^™

Chesterfield Fire And Ems Mobile Integrated Healthcare: Background And A Case Study, David Bigelow

Case Studies from Age in Action

Learning Objectives

• Explain the history of Mobile Integrated Healthcare.
• Understand the importance of reducing hospital readmissions.
• Learn how MIH partners with Adult Protective Services and others for the benefit of their patients.

Adult Day Services: A Model That Works, Heather Turbyne-Pollard

Case Studies from Age in Action

Learning Objectives

1. Demonstrate the need for adult day services.

2. Illustrate the benefits beyond those to the older adults served.

3. Demystify common misconceptions about adult day services.

Care At The Intersections: A Case Study, Alyssa Camp

Case Studies from Age in Action

Learning Objectives

1. Increase understanding of trans elder care.

2. Recognize the ethical considerations of caring for a trans elder with dementia.

3. Understand the value of LGBTQ+ training and programing in assisted living.

Nonpharmacological Practices For Reducing Agitation In Persons With Dementia, Meghan L. Farkas

Commonwealth Scholars Program

1 in 11 people aged 45 years and older experience subjective cognitive decline, with nearly a third identifying a decline in the ability to participate in social activities, work, or volunteering. There are twelve modifiable risk factors that can either increase or decrease an individual's possibility of developing Dementia. This can include excessive alcohol consumption, head injury, air pollution, lower education level, hypertension, hearing impairment, smoking, obesity, depression, physical inactivity, diabetes, and infrequent social contact. These modifiable risk factors may prevent or delay up to 40% of dementias. Furthermore, many risk factors cluster around inequalities, which occur particularly in Black, …

What Matters Most: Cna Perspectives On Workforce Education, Professional Identity And Age-Friendly Care, Shannon Arnette, Annie Rhodes, Kimberly Ivey, Christian Bergman, Leland "Bert" Waters

Case Studies from Age in Action

Learning Objectives

1. Identify the gaps in current Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) training in relation to Delirium, Dementia(s), and Depression (3D’s).

2. Identify CNA learning preferences.

3. Review the constructed tele-education training sessions that incorporate age-friendly care and What Matters Most (WMM) to participants in regards to the 3D’s.

4. Increase the CNAs’ competency and level of comfort working with individuals living with the 3D’s.

Recognizing And Responding To Abuse In Later Life: Feedback From Virginia’S Frontline, Sarah A. Marrs, Courtney O'Hara

Case Studies from Age in Action

Learning Objectives

1. To describe a research project aimed at understanding the recognition of and response to abuse in later life in the greater Richmond area

2. To discuss the structural factors that contribute to underidentification and under-resourcing of services that address abuse in later life

3. To discuss the relationship between ageism and abuse in later life

Coping With Macular Degeneration: Three Case Studies, Ajit D. Tiwari

Case Studies from Age in Action

Educational Objectives

1. Learn about the diagnosis and available treatments for Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD).

2. Explain the differences between Dry and Wet AMD.

3. Understand the impact of vision loss on the lives of older adults.

On Wisdom, Gerontology, And Personal Aging: Through A Looking Glass, Edward F. Ansello

Director's Editorials from Age in Action

Personal discussion on the perspective of aging and teaching more interiority and self-reflection in the field of gerontology.

Leading From The Middle, Edward F. Ansello

Director's Editorials from Age in Action

A reminiscent farewell to colleagues and the Virginia Center on Aging (VCoA) as Edward F. Ansello, Ph.D., retires as Director of VCoA.

Actively Engaging With Virginia Center On Aging’S Retired Community, Leland "Bert" Waters

Director's Editorials from Age in Action

VCU is the receiver of an Age-Friendly University (AFU) Global Network designation in June 2021. The Virginia Geriatric Education Center (VGEC) maintains a diverse team, including those who make "mid/late-career" changes into the Gerontology field. Bert Waters gives examples and history on some who make up this diverse team.

Metabolic Syndrome And How To Fight It, Edward F. Ansello

Director's Editorials from Age in Action

The health condition Metabolic Syndrome is becoming increasingly prevalent. To combat this, dietary improvements and incorporating movement into our daily routines are the basics suggested.

Strengthening Capacities To Respond To Dementia With Lifelong Disabilities: Using The Project Echo Model, Edward F. Ansello

Case Studies from Age in Action

Educational Objectives

1. To discuss the need for interprofessional training about aging with lifelong disabilities and dementia.

2. To demonstrate the continuing heterogeneity among adults growing older with these conditions.

3. To report the relevance of the Project ECHO model as a means of collaborative training and practice improvement.

Lucy Corr Dental Clinic: Addressing Dental Needs Of Uninsured Older Adults, Patricia B. Bonwell

Case Studies from Age in Action

Educational Objectives

1. Discuss the critical importance of oral health and the oral-systemic relationship in older adults.

2. Describe how dental insurance determines receipt of dental treatment in older adults.

3. Share how the Lucy Corr Dental Clinic (LCDC) increases access to dental care for uninsured older adults.

4. Describe valuable collaborations with community foundations, the Virginia Dental Association, and Virginia Commonwealth University that enable the success of the LCDC.

The Vcu Nursing Home Echo, A Member Of The National Covid-19 Action Network, Bert Water, Kimberly Ivey, Annie Rhodes, Christian Bergman, Daniel Bluestein, Jenni Mathews, Laura Finch, Shannon Arnette, Joanne Coleman, Maddie Mcintyre, Tara Rouse

Case Studies from Age in Action

Educational Objectives

1. To demonstrate the tremendous impact of COVID-19 on long-term care facilities.

2. To discuss the need for continuous, current, interprofessional education of both administrative and clinical staff within long-term care facilities.

3. To discuss the value of building interconnective and interprofessional relationships between both academic health science centers and nursing homes.

Improving Guardianship Practices Through Collaborative Stakeholder Action, Erica Wood, Shasta Douglass

Case Studies from Age in Action

Educational Objectives

1. Describe the purpose of adult guardianship and its effect on fundamental rights.

2. Explain the need for guardianship reform, the obstacles to reform, and what issues need attention in Virginia.

3. Discuss the purpose of state Working Interdisciplinary Networks of Guardianship Stakeholders (WINGS) and the creation and accomplishments of Virginia WINGS.

4. Review cases in which a WINGS pilot project supported the needs and rights of adults with guardians.

How Does Direct Volunteering Affect The Onset Of Alzheimer’S Dementia In Elderly Patients With Preexisting Cardiac Comorbidities?, Sneha R. Gade

Undergraduate Research Posters

Alzheimer's Dementia is a disease that affects memory, thinking, and behavior. The Alzheimer's Association reported Alzheimer's as the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States, and a cure does not exist. Donepezil, a cholinesterase inhibitor drug, is frequently prescribed to treat Alzheimer's disease. Still, patients must continuously take the medication for years to receive any measurable improvement in quality of life after developing Alzheimer's Dementia. Further, research shows prolonged use of Donepezil can lead to other health problems, such as QTc prolongation, for cardiac disease patients. Therefore, the effectiveness of non-drug interventions, such as volunteering to prevent the disease's …

Using The Memorial Sloan Kettering Frailty Index To Identify Patients At High Risk For Postoperative Intensive Care Unit Admission, Specialized Advanced Care Unit Admission, And 30-Day Readmission, Timothy J. Donoghue

Theses and Dissertations

Frailty is roughly defined as an accumulation of physiological, emotional, cognitive, and social deficits that impair a person’s response to stressful events. A frailty diagnosis has been associated with poor outcomes following surgical procedures. Cancer surgical patients aged 65 or older represent a vulnerable population susceptible to being frail and the potential associated complications that can accompany frailty. Measuring frailty is an objective risk assessment that identifies increased risk better than age or American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status (ASA-PS) score such that frailty can independently predict poor surgical outcomes.

Frailty is not specifically a result of having cancer, disability, …

The Benefits Of Physical Activity On Depression, Edward F. Ansello

Director's Editorials from Age in Action

Physical exercise can be an effective counter-measure against depression. Activity need not be strenuous and it may reduce the risk for depression, even among those with a family history or genetic disposition for depression. And depression in itself may not cause a reduction in physical activity. It could be that we will see health care providers increasingly prescribing doses of physical activity for our mental health.

Creating Covid-19 Work-Arounds For Vulnerable Older Adults, Edward F. Ansello

Director's Editorials from Age in Action

In response to disruptions in care due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP) has decided to focus energies on vulnerable populations, specifically: low income older adults in the Richmond Health and Wellness Program (RHWP), which delivers healthcare coordination at rental assistance housing complexes in Richmond, who had been receiving regular in-person help from interprofessional teams of faculty and students; residents with dementia and staffs of long-term care facilities who’d been intended to participate on-site in a non-pharmacological dementia care intervention called TimeSlips, as well as family caregivers of individuals in the community with dementia; and older …

Finding Light In The Darkness: The Role Of Humor, Edward F. Ansello

Director's Editorials from Age in Action

The human story of confrontations with darkness can be lightened with the aid of humor and laughter.

Ageism In The Age Of Covid-19, Edward F. Ansello

Director's Editorials from Age in Action

Greater awareness of biases in health care and protective services are needed. Ageism is not going away but at least COVID-19 has unveiled some of its manifestations.

A Multifaceted Approach To Address Food Insecurity In Urban Dwelling Older Adults, Ana Diallo, Katherine Falls

Case Studies from Age in Action

Educational Objectives

1. Identify and discuss concepts of food insecurity as a social determinant of health in older adults.

2. Explain the health benefits of participation in a nutrition initiative, Healthy Meals Program, to address food insecurity among low-income older adults living in an urban food desert.

3. Describe the use of motivational interviewing and goal setting techniques for nutrition-related behavior in the management of chronic disease.

4. Summarize the lessons learned and implications for clinical practice.

Two Professionally Led Choir Programs: Empowering People With Dementia And Their Care Partners, Helen Kivnick, Debra Sheets

Case Studies from Age in Action

Educational Objectives

Identify the benefits of participation in a community-based choir for persons with dementia (PwD) and their care partners.

1. Describe the work of the choirs to show the potential of living well with dementia.

2. Identify the ways in which the choirs address stigma and social isolation.

3. Highlight lessons learned

The Agony Of Da Feet: Reexamining The Foundation To Fitness, Amanda M. Lutter, Christopher B. Stewart

Case Studies from Age in Action

Educational Objectives

1. Explain the role of podiatry in helping older adults maintain wellbeing.

2. Provide an overview of common foot and ankle conditions that older adults should be concerned about.

3. Discuss newer services and techniques provided by podiatrists.

4. Review several cases in which podiatry supported patients’ health through early interventions.

The Health Empowerment Program: A Primary Care – Area Agency On Aging Partnership, Daniel Bluestein, Brad Lazernick, Britt Gnilka

Case Studies from Age in Action

Educational Objectives

1. Appreciate the benefits of a primary care-area agency on aging collaboration.

2. Identify strategies for enhancing this cross-organizational partnership.

Loneliness In Later Life, Edward F. Ansello

Director's Editorials from Age in Action

The National Social Life, Health and Aging Project (NSHAP) at the University of Chicago notes that persistent loneliness in later life is the exception rather than the rule. When it occurs, it’s most likely to be a transient condition and remediable.

Blue Zones And Longevity, Edward F. Ansello

Director's Editorials from Age in Action

We can embrace the generalizable characteristics of Blue Zones: a plant-based diet, friendships, spiritual or religious grounding, awareness of and immersion in our community, physical activity as a regular, normalized part of our daily routine, and, more philosophically, an opening up to our own sense of place and purpose.

Dementia-Friendly Resources, Edward F. Ansello

Director's Editorials from Age in Action

While dementia caregiving challenges continue for individual caregivers and communities, Alzpossible.org and Dementia Friendly America (dfamerica.org) can offer immediate support and a hopeful vision.

Interprofessional Geriatrics: Improving The Health Of Older Adults, Edward F. Ansello

Director's Editorials from Age in Action

We have received a five-year award (2019-2024) from the federal Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to grow our Virginia Geriatric Education Center (VGEC) project, which aims to improve health outcomes across Virginia for older adults by developing a healthcare workforce that maximizes patient and family engagement, integrating geriatrics and primary care, and demonstrating measurable impact.

The Mason Music & Memory Initiative (M3i), Catherine J. Tompkins, Emily S. Ihara, Megumi Inoue, Christi Clark, Kristen Suthers Rumrill

Case Studies from Age in Action

Educational Objectives

1. Explain the benefits of a nonpharmacological intervention, such as the M3I, for persons with dementia.

2. Describe the work of M3I and its collaboration with students and faculty throughout the state.

3.Highlight lessons learned and future directions for the M3I.