CARE at the UW-Madison School of Nursing
Ask any long-term care nurse or administrator. They all want to improve recruitment and retention of nursing staff. They understand that lower staff turnover rates lead to better care at lower costs. It’s not that long-term care organizations don’t want to support their nursing staff in their professional growth. It’s that many organizations struggle to …
In complex situations, new policies can have unpredictable effects. For example, some hospital safety measures can make older adults more likely to fall. “Falls are increasingly being used to judge quality of care in our hospitals, particularly for older adult patients,” says Barb King, PhD, RN, an assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison School …
Decisions about medical treatments towards the end of life are often difficult. Patients may be in pain as they and their family members struggle to understand options and come to agreement. Poor decisions may unintentionally reduce quality of life for very ill people. As an ICU nurse and researcher, Kristen Pecanac, PhD, RN is familiar …
“I work at a nursing home, so I see people coming in at all different ages,” says Kayla Olmstead, MS, a registered dietician who works in Wisconsin’s Chippewa and Barron Counties. “With some people, you can see the effects of poor nutrition over time. So if you can get to people before they’re that sick, …
“I am always looking for affordable educational opportunities, but don’t find many that are close enough to attend,” said Kathryn Nachreiner, who has managed a residential care home in Plain, Sauk County, for 14 years. Kathryn was excited to participate in a one-day conference for direct care staff at Southwest Technical College in Fennimore, organized …
Each spring, several University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Nursing undergraduate students spend three weeks in northern Wisconsin with a faculty member, to learn about public health and nursing in rural communities. This year, they also helped with tornado recovery efforts. “I spoke with the family of an older gentleman who lived on his own in …
Overall, fewer than half of U.S. adults gets enough physical activity, according to federal guidelines. For African Americans, the numbers are even lower. That makes healthy aging especially challenging. “Less than 25 percent of older African Americans meet recommended levels of physical activity,” says Wan-Chin Kuo, a PhD student at the University of Wisconsin–Madison School …
Regular physical activity is powerful. It reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancers. It improves mental health and increases the likelihood that people will live longer and more independent lives. The benefits of physical activity are so wide-ranging that Elisa Torres, PhD, RN, began her research looking at its impacts …
Compared to a decade ago, there’s greater awareness, more reporting, and stronger laws in place to address the financial exploitation of older adults. The issue was not even recognized for many years, says Kevin Hansen, PhD, JD, LLM. “The first people we protected were animals, actually,” says Hansen. “We had animal abuse statutes before we …