CARE at the UW-Madison School of Nursing
“People love to feel ‘normal,’” says Betty Lefebvre-Hill, MSE, the Fox Valley Memory Project’s Program Coordinator. “They want to get out and have the type of experiences they’ve enjoyed their whole lives, but then felt that they had to put aside. Re-engaging is joyful, and it’s heartwarming to be a part of that.” For an …
How can I communicate effectively with health care providers? What does healthy aging look like? How can I safely stay in my home? These are important questions for anyone. For the growing number of older adults with intellectual disabilities (ID) and their caregivers, they are crucial. More people with ID are living longer, thanks to …
“The management of chronic illnesses is demanding,” says Karen Rook, PhD, Professor of Psychology and Social Behavior at the University of California–Irvine. “Patients frequently must initiate and then sustain changes in multiple health behaviors, often for the rest of their lives,” explains Rook, the keynote speaker at the UW Institute on Aging’s 2014 colloquium. “They …
By 2050, just over one-fifth of the U.S. population will be age 65 and older. Medical advances have increased life expectancies worldwide, so we’re not alone. In fact, other countries will see more dramatic changes than the United States expects. Due in part to low fertility rates, one-quarter of China’s population—some 335 million people—will be …
Heart failure is a serious and growing problem, especially for older adults. It’s the only major cardiovascular disease that’s increasing in prevalence, and is the most common diagnosis for hospital patients age 65 and older. Good follow-up care, including taking medications properly, making healthy diet choices and monitoring changes in condition, is necessary to manage …
The world of the certified nurse assistant (CNA) is full of contradictions. They describe their work as monotonous, stressful and dangerous—but also rewarding. They provide nearly all the direct care for older adults in long-term care settings, and frequently wind up being the main liaison between family members and licensed care providers. Yet they are …
If the discussions during CARE’s Careers in Aging Week event on April 9th could be summarized in one sentence, Suzanne Purvis did so. “What we do to fix our communities for older people fixes it for everybody,” stressed Purvis, a clinical nurse specialist in geriatrics at UW Hospital and Clinics. The same is true of health …
We all need exercise to stay healthy, no matter what our age. But maintaining activity is not easy—only one of two people who start an organized exercise program stick with it. For older adults, regular physical activity can not only improve their health, but also increase their chances of remaining independent. What types of exercise are …
It’s not surprising that nurse residencies—ten-week to year-long transition to practice programs offering targeted training and mentoring—are increasingly popular among new nurses and their employers. By better supporting nursing staff, residencies improve the quality of care and increase nurse retention rates. The clear benefits have led the Institute of Medicine to recommend nurse residency programs across …