Digital Commons Network^™

November 21, 2025 Ereporter, University Of Alabama At Birmingham

eReporter (campus newsletter)

No abstract provided.

“Ready, Set, Prepared!” Promoting Household Emergency Preparedness Of Older Adults, Lavonne M. Adams, Charleen Mcneill, William Ellery Samuels, Tara Heagele

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Abstract Text: Introduction Older adults are at-risk for injury, illness, or death following a disaster or public health emergency, especially if they have chronic health conditions or other functional needs. Understanding their unique perspectives may inform education efforts to improve their household emergency preparedness (HEP) and safety.

Purpose This study investigated self-reported levels of HEP among community-dwelling older adults, exploring feasibility and effectiveness of offering group education virtually and in-person. It built on previous studies of the Nurses Taking on Readiness Measures intervention that examined short-term effectiveness of one-on-one HEP education.

Methods The design was a non-randomized before-after feasibility study …

Back To Basics: Empowering Our Patient Support Team Members As Healthcare Leaders, Colleen Coyne, Elizabeth Thachanalil Xavier, Cristina Romancyck

Biennial Convention (CONV)

This presentation explores "Patient Care Basics," a transformative orientation session designed to equip newly onboarded patient support staff with knowledge, skills, and confidence to deliver exceptional patient-centered care. A needs assessment revealed a gap regarding leadership and patient-centered care. This program addresses the vital role of patient support team members by adapting adult learning principles and foundational patient care concepts. We identified the unique needs of these often first-time healthcare workers by collaboration with stakeholders.

"Patient Care Basics" utilizes a two-part, session-based approach. The first session immerses participants in a collaborative hospital leadership simulation. Working in small groups, participants establish …

Characteristics Of The United States Acute Care Nurse Practitioners’ Work Environment, 2012 To 2022, Kristin Hittle Gigli

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Background: Acute care comprises a significant amount of health care, with over 35 million hospitalizations in the United States annually.¹ As the population ages and comorbidities and chronic illness increase, demand for hospital care is forecasted to grow.² To meet the demand for acute care, clinicians, healthcare organizations, and policymakers are calling for increased nurse practitioner (NP) utilization in hospital care.^3,4

Significance: Acute care NPs practice across clinical specialties and assume diverse roles providing high-quality, interdisciplinary hospital care.^3,5,6 Despite demand for NPs in hospital care, barriers, including organizational regulations and state scope-of-practice restrictions, limit …

Fundamental Care In Times Of Crisis: The Lived Experience Of Chief Nursing Officers, Devin S. Carr

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Fundamental nursing care refers to the essential and practical elements of care that involve the integration of physical and psychosocial aspects of care required for every person in any care setting. The Covid-19 pandemic created unique challenges for nurses, which inhibited their ability to consistently provide fundamental nursing care. This study explored the lived experiencs of Chief Nursing Officers and delivery of fundamental nursing care during the Covid-19 pandemic. This study employed an exploratory phenomenological approach to gain an understanding of how Chief Nursing Officers (CNOs) promoted fundamental nursing care during times of crisis. Specifically, this study explored perceptions of …

November 19, 2025, Faculty, Illinois Wesleyan University

2025-2026

No abstract provided.

Advancing Nurse Practitioner Education Using Targeted Curriculum In Critical Care Obstetrics, Jennifer Brower, Caitlin Luebcke

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Purpose: Adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner (AGACNP) education has not held a historical emphasis on care of acutely ill obstetric patients. The aim of this study was to examine the knowledge base and self-efficacy of AGACNP students pre- and post-multimodal instruction in the care of this vulnerable patient population.

Background: Maternal mortality has risen in the United States from 7.2 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1987 to 23.8 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020. Obstetric patients are more likely to be of advanced age with chronic illnesses and using reproductive technologies than in previous years. An increase in …

Family Caregivers' Perspectives On Challenges And Support Needs In Hospital-Based Palliative Care For Persons Living With Dementia, Jung Kwak, Anita Chary, Sarah Stayer, Kwaku Duah Oppong, Sumin Yoon, Snehal Patel, Elizabeth A Kvale

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Palliative care needs of hospitalized persons living with dementia (PLWD) and their family caregivers remain poorly understood. This mixed-methods study explored caregivers' perspectives on challenges and support needs when hospitalized PLWD received specialist palliative care consultations. Thirty-two caregivers were recruited from two hospitals; 18 completed interviews and surveys, and 14 completed surveys only. Participants were racially and ethnically diverse (19% Black or African American, 34% Latino or Hispanic). Most identified as women (65%) and adult children (56%). Commonly reported challenges included managing health issues (59%), emotional distress (56%), and decision-making (47%). Thematic analysis of interviews revealed three themes: the value …

Implementing Evidence-Based Strategies For Falls Prevention, Gregory Njong

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Older adults are particularly susceptible to post-fall injuries and loss of independence. This project was implemented to decrease the number of resident falls within a long-term care setting by enhancing the knowledge and daily routine of direct-care personnel. Falls remain one of the most frequent and severe safety concerns. Although policies on fall prevention are in place, workers often inconsistently incorporate risk evaluation and fail to identify all the causes of a fall. The purpose of this project was to determine whether a structured educational program could raise the level of knowledge about fall-prevention and provide safer care practices. The …

“For Haitian Culture, Being Older [Is] A Blessing”: Perceptions Of Aging, Elderhood, And Dementia In A Haitian Born Sample, Melissa K. Eustache

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates how first-generation Haitian immigrants in the United States understand and interpret dementia within the intersecting contexts of culture, migration, and biomedicine. While dementia is constructed as a pathological “loss of self” and a public health epidemic, in American biomedical and popular discourse, this study examines how Haitian-born individuals—socialized within a non-Western cultural and spiritual framework—make sense of cognitive decline and impairment in ways that diverge from Western biomedical narratives. Guided by theoretical orientations from medical anthropology, including Mark Nichter’s idioms of distress, Margaret Lock’s local biologies, and neuroanthropology, this research explores how cultural models of illness, aging, …

Improving Staff Knowledge And Competency In Saint Louis University Mental Status Dementia Screening, Arteece Noel Crum

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Summary Early recognition of cognitive decline is vital to improving outcomes and maintaining patient safety across healthcare settings. The Saint Louis University Mental Status (SLUMS) screening tool assists nurses in detecting early cognitive changes; however, inconsistent administration and interpretation of the screening tool can reduce its effectiveness. A gap in staff knowledge regarding scoring, education-level adjustments, and documentation accuracy was identified at the practice site. To address this gap in practice, I developed and implemented a staff education program focusing on SLUMS administration and evidence-based clinical response to abnormal scores. The practice-focused question guiding this Doctor of Nursing Practice project …

“Better Than Any Medicine:” Understanding How Therapy Dogs Support Patients Presenting With Mental Health And Substance Use Concerns In An Emergency Department Setting, Alexandria R. Pavelich, Colleen A. Dell, James Stempien, Holly Mckenzie, Aimee Hozack, Jane Smith, Alexis Rowsell, Janet Gunderson, Elizabeth Pease

Patient Experience Journal

In Canada, emergency departments have a large number of patients with mental health and substance use concerns passing through their doors. Our research aim was to assess the impact that therapy dog visits may have for patients presenting with mental health and/or substance use concerns to an emergency department based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Working alongside an active patient advisory group and community-based therapy dog program volunteers, our mixed method approach utilizing ethnography, surveys, and interviews showed that therapy dog visitation had a beneficial impact on both patients and staff, thus improving the overall patient experience. Our study displays how the …

The Association Between Social Determinants Of Health And Pressure Injury Development In Middle-Aged Adult Oncology Patients, Ashley Marston

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

In the United States, pressure injuries are a severe health problem that affect over 2.5 million people while approximately 60,000 of the affected will die annually from complications or infections related to the pressure injury. However, few studies have explored associated factors in the middled-aged adult oncology patient population Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) are known to affect health and well-being; yet there is limited evidence that SDOH directly affect oncology patients and the risk for pressure injuries. This study will explore clinical factors associated with these social determinants of health, as well as several demographic categories such as race, …

Improving Retention Of Newly Hired Nurses In Home Care, Chidi D. Ihezue

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the home care setting, there is an increasing need for home care services due to aging populations and the rising prevalence of chronic diseases, as well as a scarcity of qualified home care staff to meet the health needs of patients in this setting. A home care agency's onboarding program, particularly its capacity to deliver comprehensive orientation and robust mentoring for new nurses, plays a crucial role in supporting the retention of newly employed nursing staff within the home care environment. Research indicates that without ongoing support and close monitoring, newly hired nurses may disengage during the onboarding and …

Love, Sex, & Aging: Gendered Perspective On Relationship Desires And Satisfaction In Older Adulthood, William Henninger, Melinda Heinz, Nathan Taylor

Faculty Publications

This research explores gender differences in long- and short-term relationships and sexual satisfaction among older adults. Socioemotional Selectivity Theory posits that as people age, they prioritize immediate emotional satisfaction due to perceptions of limited time. This shift influences older adults’ romantic relationships, increasing the likelihood of seeking meaningful connections and reducing the prevalence of negative emotions. With healthy relationships linked to physical, psychological, and financial benefits, research is needed to further understand older adult romantic relationships. Older adults (n = 155) from the Seniors Together in Aging Research (STAR) completed a survey assessing relationship preferences and current and predicted sexual …

Advancing Delirium Detection Through The Open Health Natural Language Processing Consortium And The Evolve To Next-Gen Accrual To Clinical Trials Network, Sunyang Fu, Min Ji Kwak, Jaerong Ahn, Zhiyi Yue, Shreyas Ranganath, Joseph R Applegate, Andrew Wen, Liwei Wang, Chenyu Li, Michele Morris, Kelly M Toth, Timothy D Girard, John D Osborne, Richard E Kennedy, Nelly-Estefanie Garduno-Rapp, Phillip Reeder, Justin F Rousseau, Chao Yan, You Chen, Mayur B Patel, Tyler J Murphy, Bradley A Malin, Chan Mi Park, Heling Jia, Sandeep Pagali, Allyson K Palmer, Jennifer St Sauver, Sunghwan Sohn, Elmer V Bernstam, Shyam Visweswaran, Yanshan Wang, Hongfang Liu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Delirium is often underdiagnosed in clinical practice and is not routinely coded for billing. While manual chart review can identify delirium, it is labor-intensive and impractical for large-scale studies. Natural language processing (NLP) can analyze unstructured text in electronic health records (EHRs) to extract meaningful clinical information.

Methods: To support national integration of NLP for EHR-based delirium identification across different institutions, we launched the Delirium Interest Group within the national Evolve to Next-Gen Accrual to Clinical Trials (ENACT) NLP Working Group. This paper outlines our initial efforts to standardize, evaluate, and translate an NLP-based delirium detection model into the …

Trends In Private Equity Acquisitions Of Assisted Living Facilities., Jennifer N. Bunker, Yashaswini Singh, Gauri Gadkari, John Bowblis, Lindsey Smith, Paula Carder, Sean Huang, Momotazur Rahman, Kali S. Thomas

Institute on Aging Publications

This cross-sectional study examines trends in private equity acquisitions of assisted living facilities across the US.

Simulating The Effect Of Measurement Error On Stride Time Detrended Fluctuation Analysis, Ben D. M. Jones, David L. Carey, Jon Wheat, Kane Middleton, Ben Heller

ISBS Proceedings Archive

The aim of this study was to investigate the sensitivity of running stride time detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA) to simulated noise and the impact of noise on reliability measures. Varying magnitudes of Gaussian and uniform noise were added to series of touchdown event timings from 11 runners. DFA-α were calculated for ground truth and simulated stride time series. Simulated series were paired and test-retest ICC estimates computed. The error in DFA-α increased with noise magnitude, with stride time series transitioning from persistent to anti-persistent behaviour for greater magnitudes of noise. However, median ICC estimates stayed above 0.95 for all standard …

Home Based Elder Care (Hbec) In India: Exploring Culturally Competent Models, Urmi Nanda Biswas

Papers from the International Association for Cross-Cultural Psychology Conferences

The chapter deliberates on elder care models within the sociocultural context of India, aligning with traditional values and family structure. The chapter is based on mini-case studies of 47 healthcare organizations that offer various types of care services to the aging population and extends to discuss a few of the upcoming models. Key informant interviews were conducted across different types of organisations studied involving the CEO/manager / proprietors, paramedical staff, and the seniors availing the services of the organisation. Apart from this focused group discussions of seniors in rural communities were also conducted. Structures of the organizations, along with the …

Reducing Delirium In Older Adults: The Role Of Quiet Hours During Hospitalization, Kelly Hermawan Bsn, Rn

Nurse Residency

In older adults how does the implementation of quiet hours compared to no quiet hours affect the incidence of delirium as measured by positive cam score during hospitalization?

Chronic Pain And Subjective Memory Problems Are Dynamic Risk Factors For Functional Decline, Tyler R. Bell, Cynthia Felix, Nathalie Gider, George W. Rebok, Michael Crowe, Karlene Ball, Gail Wallace, Sheila Black, Kelsey R. Thomas, Katie M. Wheeler, Felix J. Kollasserry, Jeanine M. Parisi, Caitlin A. Northcutt

Epidemiology and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Chronic pain is highly prevalent in older adults and is associated with elevated risk for disability and dementia. Subjective memory problems (SMPs) - self-rated memory difficulties - are also common and may serve as early indicators of functional decline. This study examined associations between SMPs and cognitive, physical, and psychosocial functioning among older adults with and without chronic pain. Data were drawn from 2365 participants in the Advanced Cognitive Training for Independent and Vital Elderly (ACTIVE) study. Multilevel models assessed the impact of baseline and time-varying SMPs on cognitive performance (memory, reasoning, processing speed), physical function (mobility, grip strength, self-rated …

Wellesley Council On Aging: Planning For The Future, Caitlin E. Coyle, Beth Rouleau

Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging Publications

Taking a community-engaged approach, this assessment sought to capture the voices, experiences, and aspirations of older adults living in our community. It is designed to support the COA in fulfilling its mission: acting as the community resource for older adults, their families, and caregivers; advocating for their interests; and offering social, educational, physical activity, transportation, and nutrition programs that promote health, independence, and meaningful engagement.

Specifically, this needs assessment aimed to: 1. Describe the demographic and social trends shaping Wellesley’s older adult population. 2. Identify older residents’ priorities, challenges, and unmet needs—spanning health and wellness, housing and mobility, social connection, …

Driving And Beyond, Michele Dinman, Nancy Morrow-Howell

Harvey A. Friedman Center for Aging

Transportation is a daily necessity in our lives, and many of us rely on driving our own automobile to get where we need to go. According to the Federal Highway Administration, in 2023 there were approximately 35 million licensed drivers aged 70 and older—fewer drivers than younger age groups and a group that drives fewer miles.

Living With Purpose, Michelle Dinman, Cal J. Halvorsen, Nancy Morrow-Howell

Harvey A. Friedman Center for Aging

Having purpose is good for all of us at any age. Patrick Hill, Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences at WashU, defines purpose as the “notion that you have daily activities you find meaningful or engaging and that give you direction for your life [and] reasons to continue going.” In a major sense, purpose can be described as the why of living, instead of the how.

The Covid-19 Pandemic’S Effects On Older People, Michele Dinman, Morgan Van Vleck

Harvey A. Friedman Center for Aging

The COVID-19 pandemic has had wide ranging effects on people of all ages. In many respects, older people had the same experiences as younger people, but there were some aspects of the pandemic unique to the older population. While COVID-19 cases have been equal among different age groups, older people experienced a greater number of hospitalizations and deaths compared to younger people.

Associations Between Perceived Stress And Glycemic Measures: Gender And Age As Moderators, Ming-Hong Tsai, Charlene Enhui Goh, Michelle H. Lee, Francine Seah, Maybritte Lim, Eveline Febriana, Jiahui Fu, Julie K. Yip, Philip Presham, Sue-Anne Ee Shiow Toh

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Introduction Prediabetes presents an opportunity for early intervention. Growing evidence suggests that psychological stress may contribute to glucose dysregulation, but the findings are inconsistent. This study aimed to clarify the association between perceived stress and glycemic measures, by first testing gender as a moderator, and then examining age as a moderator within each gender group. Research design and methods We analyzed cross-sectional data from 470 diabetes-free adults in Singapore. Participants completed the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale, comprising two subscales: perceived helplessness and perceived self-efficacy. Glycemic measures included fasting plasma glucose, glycated hemoglobin, and 2-hour plasma glucose (2h-PG) following an oral …

Leave Them To Their Own Devices: When Employee Informal Power In Strategically Core Roles Enhances Organizational Performance, Alexandru Roman

American Business Review

In this empirical study, I develop theorizing on the conditions under which employees’ informal, competence-based power in strategically core roles enhances organizational performance. I propose that in contexts characterized by high task specialization and interdependence, employees with high informal power positively influence performance through higher motivation and improved coordination. However, this effect is weaker when managers also hold high informal power or emphasize hierarchical structures, as these factors create power conflicts that undermine employees’ informal influence. Conversely, the positive effect is stronger when employees receive negative performance feedback, which they perceive as a challenge to their competence, leading to stronger …

News From The Catholic Historical Society Of Western Pennsylvania

Gathered Fragments

No abstract provided.

Estimating Daily Air Quality Exposure Of The Aging And Dementia Population, Wan-Tai Michael Au-Yeung, Moiz Usmani, Ryan Ramphul, Chao-Yi Wu, Hiroko Dodge, Joel Steele, Zachary Beattie, Jeffrey Kaye

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background

To understand the effect of air quality on cognition, air quality measurements should reflect real-world exposure. Currently, air quality exposure is derived from outdoor air quality monitors despite older adults spending most of their time indoors.

Objective

To examine if there are discrepancies between indoor particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) at older adults’ personal residences, PM2.5 levels measured with nearest outdoor public air monitors, and remotely accessed gridded ensemble air quality data.

Methods

PM2.5 levels collected in older adults’ residences, collected from the nearest outdoor public air quality monitors and ensemble data from Hazardous Air Quality Ensemble System (HAQES) were …

Living Longer, Working Longer, Michele Dinman, Cal J. Halvorsen

Harvey A. Friedman Center for Aging

According to the Pew Research Center, nearly one-in-five Americans ages 65 and older (19%) were employed in 2023, a rate nearly twice that from 35 years ago. They’re also working more hours, on average, than in the recent past. In fact, more than three-in-five older workers (62%) work full time, an increase from the 47% working full time in 1987. Older workers today are also more educated and are more likely to be receiving employer-sponsored benefits, such as retirement savings plans and health insurance, than in earlier decades. While only 4% of the entire labor force was made up of …