Resources

This website has been created in partnership with Nurse Competence in Aging (NCA) in order to prepare Therapeutic Touch Therapists with the knowledge and skills to deepen their Therapeutic practice in the care of elders.

Have you visited www.GeroNurseOnline.org lately?

Do You Know About Sensory Changes in Older Adults?

The majority of older adults will experience some changes in their sensory capacity (vision, hearing, smell, taste and peripheral sensation) as a normal part of aging. Some sensory changes, for example changes in hearing, can severely impact an older person's communication skills.

To learn more about sensory changes in older adults visit www.GeroNurseOnline.org and select "Sensory Changes" from the Geriatric Topic menu.

We are pleased to announce the following NEW and/or Revised Try This Issues are available from The Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing:

Issue# 15 Elder Mistreatment and Abuse Assessment

Issue# 20 Preventing Aspiration in Older Adults with Dysphagia

Issue# 23 The Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) Scale

From the Dementia Try This Series:

Issue# D3 Brief Evaluation of Executive Dysfunction: An Essential Refinement in the Assessment of Cognitive Impairment

Issue# D9 Decision Making and Dementia

Issue# D10 Working with Families of Hospitalized Older Adults with Dementia

The Try This series is available on www.GeroNurseOnline.org under "Resources" in the assessment tools section
The series is also accessible from the Hartford Institute website at:
http://www.hartfordign.org/resources/education/tryThis.html 

New Resource Available at www.hartfordign.org:

“Geriatrics and the Advanced Practice Curriculum: A Series of Web-Based Interactive Case Studies”

The “Geriatrics and the Advanced Practice Curriculum: A Series of Web-Based Interactive Case Studies” was developed to provide a “user-friendly” way for faculty to integrate essential geriatric nursing content into non-gerontological nurse practitioner and clinical nurse specialist programs.  However, practicing NPs or CNSs may also find them useful as a means for updating or adding to their “geriatric” knowledge base. 
 
Using a problem-oriented approach, cases focus on common health problems of the older adult.  The cases are designed so that the “patient” may be followed over a period of time.  Differences in presentation, management, outcomes, and other relevant aspects of the older adult are emphasized.  A tutorial format is utilized to allow for active participation by the users.   Users must provide an answer to each question before they can continue to the next section of the case. The correct answers for each question and their rationales are provided immediately after the user responses.
 
The case studies were developed by expert geriatric faculty with the support and guidance of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) and the New York University College of Nursing Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing (www.hartfordign.org). The rigorous process used to develop the case studies involved advanced practice nurses and faculty from around the country.  Each case study clearly shows how content addresses the geriatric competencies in the AACN document Nurse Practitioner and Clinical Nurse Specialist Competences for Older Adult Care (2004; see www.aacn.nche.edu).  The Series Editor is Carolyn Auerhahn, EdD, APRN, BC. NP-C, New York University College of Nursing

The case studies can be accessed on the Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing home page at www.hartfordign.org

GeroFocus: Continuing Education
Improve your Competency in Geriatric Care

There are many, wonderful journal articles that you may find helpful in caring for elder adults. The following are a few that we located to share with you. The most recent citations appear first under each journal title.

Cooperative Connection  

Gregory, S. (2007). Serenity Setting®.   Cooperative  Connection, XXVII (6),

Spring – Summer 2007.

Cugelman, E. (2007). Therapeutic Touch in long term care. Cooperative  

 Connection, XXVII (5), Fall 06 – Spring 07.

Simpson, M. (2006). Therapeutic Touch and the healing attitude. Cooperative

Connection, XXVII (4), Spring 06 – Summer 06.

Gregory, S. & Verdow, J. (2006). Therapeutic Touch: Its application for residents

in aged care. Cooperative Connection, XXVII (4), Fall 05 – Winter 06.

Krasel, C. (2005). Mom, TT and transition. Cooperative Connection, XXVII (3),

Summer 05.

Krasel, C. (2005). Mom, me and TT. Cooperative Connection, XXVI (5), Winter

05.

American Journal of Nursing

Mentes, C. (2006). Oral hydration in older adults.  American Journal of Nursing,

106 (6), 40 – 50.

Rader, J., Barrick, A., Hoeffer, B., Sloane, P., McKenzie, D., Talerico, K. &

Glover, U. (2006). The bathing of older adults with dementia. American

Journal of Nursing, 106 (4), 40 – 49.

Graf, C. (2006). Functional decline in hospitalized older adults. American Journal

of Nursing, 106 (1), 58 – 68.

Butcher, H. & McGonigal, M. (2005). Depression and dispiritedness in later life.

American Journal of Nursing, 105 (12), 52 – 62.

Smith, M. & Buckwalter, K. (2005). Behaviors associated with dementia.

American Journal of Nursing, 105 (7), 40 – 53.

Specht, J. (2005). Nine myths of incontinence in older adults. American Journal

of Nursing, 105 (6), 58 – 69.

Di-Maria, R. & Amella, E. (2005). Nutrition in older adults. American Journal of

Nursing, 105 (3), 40 - 51.

Naylor, M., Stephens, C., Bowles, K. & Bixby, M. (2005). Cognitively impaired

older adults: From hospital to home. American Journal of Nursing, 105 (2),

52 – 62.

Stotts, N. & Dietrich, C. (2004). The challenge to come: The care of older adults.

American Journal of Nursing, 104 (8), 40 – 48.

Nursing Series

Covell, C., Graziano, J., Rich, D. & Tobin, K. (2007). New outlook for age related

macular degeneration. Nursing 2007, 37 (3), 22 – 23.

Shepler, S., Grogan, T. &  Steinmetz, K. (2006). Nursing 2006, 36 (9), 44 - 47.

Ferszi, G. & Leveillee, M. (2006). How do you distinguish between grief and

depression. Nursing 2006, 36 (9), 60 – 61. 

Baranoski, S. (2006). Pressure ulcers: A renewed awareness. Nursing 2006, 36

(8), 36 - 42.

Molle, E. (2005). Getting down to the lower GI tract. Nursing 2005, 35 (11), 20 –

21.

Mauk, K. (2005). Preventing constipation in older adults. Nursing 2005, 35 (6), 22

-          23.

A few more resources!

Functional Assessment
A major goal of care for older adults is maintaining function at the best level possible. Illness, disability, medications, and social changes are among the many factors that may alter function. A change in function may be the first sign of illness or decline. Functional assessment helps determine current status, needed interventions, and required resources. In addition, evaluation of function offers the clinician an opportunity to obtain a baseline assessment for future comparisons to determine progress or recovery. Check geronurseonline.

Improving Geriatric Quality of Life by Integrating Eastern and Western Medicine 
The integration of CAM with modern Western medicine broadens the conception of health and illness and could according to its advocates create a new paradigm of health. Requires one-time free registration at Medscape.com

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM)
NCCAM has developed the CAM Online Continuing Education Series for health care providers and the public to learn more about complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). The Continuing Education Series is presented in six chapters, one of which is complementary and alternative medicine in aging.  Contact hours are available.

Integrative Medicine Resource Center
Integrative Medicine (IM), according to the Consortium of Academic Health Centers for Integrative Medicine, is the practice of medicine that reaffirms the importance of the relationship between practitioner and patient, focuses on the whole person, and makes use of all appropriate therapeutic approaches that are informed by evidence. The Medscape IM Resource Center seeks to help clarify these evolving issues for health professionals with best-evidence articles, educational activities, and expert commentary. Requires one-time free registration at Medscape.com

• Health Disparities Affecting Minority Elderly Populations

February 2007

• Exudative Age-Related Macular Degeneration: Causes and Treatment

September 2006

• The "New View" Approach to Men's Sexual Problems

July 2006

MEDSCAPE   Gerontology   172 citations

UTMB Geriatric Education

The goal of this exciting online program is to educate nurses about common health problems faced by older adults and to improve the leadership skills of nurses working in geriatrics. Additionally, educational efforts will target issues of health disparities faced by older populations including those in medically underserved areas, older minorities, elderly in rural communities, and nursing home residents. All modules are offered free of charge and there is no registration fee. Continuing Education Units are available for each module. Modules are completely web-based.  Funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services.

The Merck Institute of Aging and Health

National Gerontological Nursing Association
The NGNA is a nursing specialty organization that promotes gerontological nursing in order to improve clinical care of older adults. The association helps to explore education, research, practice and legislative issues surrounding care of older adults.

Nurses Improving Care for Health System Elders (NICHE)

Started in 1992, NICHE has evolved into a national geriatric nursing program comprising 197 active sites in 38 states as well as parts of Canada and The Netherlands. A program of The John A. Hartford Foundation Institute for Geriatric Nursing at New York University, the goal of NICHE is to achieve systematic nursing change that will benefit hospitalized older patients. The vision of NICHE is for all patients 65 and over to be given sensitive and exemplary care. The mission of NICHE is to import principles and tools to stimulate a change in the culture of healthcare facilities to achieve patient-centered care for older adults.

NICHE is unlike other programs in that it does not prescribe how institutions should modify geriatric care; rather, it provides the materials and services necessary to stimulate and support the planning and implementation process. The focus of NICHE is on programs and protocols that are dominantly under the control of nursing practice; in other words, areas where nursing interventions have a substantive and positive impact on patient care.

Upon implementation of NICHE, hospitals report:

·  Enhanced nursing knowledge and skills regarding treatment of common geriatric syndromes

·  Greater patient satisfaction

·  Decreased length of stay for elderly patients

·  Reductions in readmission rates

·  Increases in the length of time between re-admissions

·  Reductions in costs associated with hospital care for the elderly

In conjunction with a team of nationally recognized geriatric nursing leaders, NICHE has created a variety of "tools" to improve geriatric care. This approach was developed and field-tested by staff New York University, The Epsilon Group and Education Development Center, Inc.

And…finally…

John A. Hartford Foundation's Building Academic Geriatric Nursing Capacity (BAGNC) Program
 

BUILDING ACADEMIC GERIATRIC NURSING CAPACITY

May 31, 2007

Dear Colleagues,

I am writing to engage your assistance in recruiting applicants for The John. A. Hartford Foundation Scholar* and Claire M. Fagin Fellowship Programs. The Scholars and Fellows Programs, components of the Building Academic Geriatric Nursing Capacity (BAGNC) initiative, are thriving and have contributed substantially to the growing national momentum in geriatric nursing research and education.

Unique among scholarship and fellowship opportunities, this program deliberately strives to build leadership skills and national connections while supporting high quality research training.

Over the past 7 years we’ve learned that most candidates learn of and follow through with application to this program from their schools of nursing.  Therefore, with respect, I ask you to encourage students and faculty within your institution to seriously consider these opportunities.

The Scholars’ program supports 2 years of predoctoral work for nurses committed to careers in academic geriatric nursing.  The program offers
support at the level of **$30,000 in stipend and up to $20,000 in  
tuition and fee support for each of two years.

The Claire M. Fagin Fellowship provides $60,000 of support for each of  2 years of advanced research training and mentorship designed to assist doctorally-prepared nurses in launching successful research careers in geriatric nursing.  This portion of the program is funded by The John A. Hartford Foundation and the Atlantic Philanthropies.

The Scholars and Fellows programs also feature additional funding by the
Mayday Fund to support both scholars and fellows who focus on pain in the
elderly.  And finally, our Scholars, Fellows and Mentors attend the highly
rated Annual Leadership Conference.

We plan to award another 15 scholarships to predoctoral candidates in 2008.
Details about the Scholars and Fellows Programs and application materials
are available on the Web site: http://www.geriatricnursing.org.  Please feel free to contact me (802-229-2620) or the Coordinating Center (202-777-1172) if additional information would be helpful.

Best regards,

Pat Archbold

Patricia G. Archbold, DNSc, RN, FAAN
Director, Building Academic Geriatric Nursing Capacity


*The name of the Scholars has been a long-time issue in part because it is so long.  Previous years the Scholars were known as the John A. Hartford Foundation Building Academic Geriatric Nursing Capacity Scholars.

**We guarantee tuition and fees and up to a $30,000 stipend with the total not to exceed $50,000 per year.  This sentence conveys the message that we
guarantee a $30,000 stipend, which in some cases is not the case when tuition and fees are more than $20,000 per year..