GSA on Aging

Understanding Person-Centered Care for Older Adults in Six Developing Countries/Regions: Thailand [Episode 6] Download the Transcript The impact of population aging is universally recognized and has been extensively studied in wealthier, developed regions. But we know much less about how aging is experienced by low- and middle-income countries and populations and how these regions are responding to the challenges created by the aging of their populations. The rapid rate of population aging in many developing parts of the world—fueled by falling fertility rates and a shift in the predominance of chronic diseases rather than acute and infectious illnesses—has left little time to anticipate and prepare for the consequences of aging populations. The GSA Interest Group on Common Data Elements for International Research in Residential Long-term Care has developed a limited podcast series to provide insights into how culture, competing population health priorities, political conflict, and resource limitations influence older adults, their families, and paid/formal caregivers along a trajectory of development, including Brazil, China, East Jerusalem, Ethiopia, Ghana, and Thailand. Guest: Siriphan Sasat, PhD, RN, CPG Dr. Sasat is Associate Professor in the Faculty of Nursing at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand. She is the Director of the Centre for Health and Well-being Promotion for Older People and the Chair of the Thai Long-Term Care Nurses Society. Dr. Sasat previously served as the Secretary-General for the International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Asia/Oceania Region (IAGG-AOR), and as the Vice President of the Thai Society of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine. She earned her doctoral and master’s degrees in nursing with a focus on gerontology and the care of older people at the University of Hull in the United Kingdom. Additionally, she received a baccalaureate degree in nursing and midwifery from the McCormick Faculty of Nursing, Payap University in Thailand. Host: Barbara Bowers, PhD, RN, FAAN, FGSA, Emerita Professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, School of Nursing; Founding Director of the UW–Madison School of Nursing’s Center for Aging Research and Education Moderator: Jing Wang, PhD, RN, FAAN, Assistant Professor at the University of New Hampshire, College of Health and Human Services This podcast limited series is supported by the GSA Innovation Fund.

Understanding Person-Centered Care for Older Adults in Six Developing Countries/Regions: Ghana [Episode 5] Download the Transcript The impact of population aging is universally recognized and has been extensively studied in wealthier, developed regions. But we know much less about how aging is experienced by low- and middle-income countries and populations and how these regions are responding to the challenges created by the aging of their populations. The rapid rate of population aging in many developing parts of the world—fueled by falling fertility rates and a shift in the predominance of chronic diseases rather than acute and infectious illnesses—has left little time to anticipate and prepare for the consequences of aging populations. The GSA Interest Group on Common Data Elements for International Research in Residential Long-term Care has developed a limited podcast series to provide insights into how culture, competing population health priorities, political conflict, and resource limitations influence older adults, their families, and paid/formal caregivers along a trajectory of development, including Brazil, China, East Jerusalem, Ethiopia, Ghana, and Thailand. Guest: Diana Abudu-Birresborn, PhD Dr. Abudu-Birresborn is a doctoral graduate of the Lawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, with a specialization in Health Systems Leadership and Administration and a collaborative specialization in ageing from the Institute of Life Course and Ageing, at the University of Toronto, Canada. Dr. Abudu-Birresborn has more than a decade of nursing experience in rural and urban communities of Ghana. Her doctoral work focused on the preparation of nursing students to care for older adults in Ghana. Specifically, she examined nursing students' self-efficacy in caring for older adults in acute care settings, using a mixed-method approach. Host: Barbara Bowers, PhD, RN, FAAN, FGSA, Emerita Professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, School of Nursing; Founding Director of the UW–Madison School of Nursing’s Center for Aging Research and Education Moderator: Jing Wang, PhD, RN, FAAN, Assistant Professor at the University of New Hampshire, College of Health and Human Services This podcast limited series is supported by the GSA Innovation Fund.

Understanding Person-Centered Care for Older Adults in Six Developing Countries/Regions: Ethiopia [Episode 4] Download the Transcript The impact of population aging is universally recognized and has been extensively studied in wealthier, developed regions. But we know much less about how aging is experienced by low- and middle-income countries and populations and how these regions are responding to the challenges created by the aging of their populations. The rapid rate of population aging in many developing parts of the world—fueled by falling fertility rates and a shift in the predominance of chronic diseases rather than acute and infectious illnesses—has left little time to anticipate and prepare for the consequences of aging populations. The GSA Interest Group on Common Data Elements for International Research in Residential Long-term Care has developed a limited podcast series to provide insights into how culture, competing population health priorities, political conflict, and resource limitations influence older adults, their families, and paid/formal caregivers along a trajectory of development, including Brazil, China, East Jerusalem, Ethiopia, Ghana, and Thailand. Guest: Nigussie Tadesse Sharew, MS Nigussie is a doctoral student at the University of Adelaide, Adelaide Medical School in Australia, where he is studying the pharmacogenomics of drugs used in the treatment of mental health disorders. He holds two master’s degrees in clinical epidemiology from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands and adult health nursing from Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia. He was an Assistant Professor at Debre Berhan University in Ethiopia, where he has served as Dean of the College of Health Science for three years and as head of the nursing department for two years. Host: Barbara Bowers, PhD, RN, FAAN, FGSA, Emerita Professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, School of Nursing; Founding Director of the UW–Madison School of Nursing’s Center for Aging Research and Education Moderator: Jing Wang, PhD, RN, FAAN, Assistant Professor at the University of New Hampshire, College of Health and Human Services This podcast limited series is supported by the GSA Innovation Fund.

Understanding Person-Centered Care for Older Adults in Six Developing Countries/Regions: Caring for Palestinians Living in East Jerusalem [Episode 3] Download the Transcript The impact of population aging is universally recognized and has been extensively studied in wealthier, developed regions. But we know much less about how aging is experienced by low- and middle-income countries and populations and how these regions are responding to the challenges created by the aging of their populations. The rapid rate of population aging in many developing parts of the world—fueled by falling fertility rates and a shift in the predominance of chronic diseases rather than acute and infectious illnesses—has left little time to anticipate and prepare for the consequences of aging populations. The GSA Interest Group on Common Data Elements for International Research in Residential Long-term Care has developed a limited podcast series to provide insights into how culture, competing population health priorities, political conflict, and resource limitations influence older adults, their families, and paid/formal caregivers along a trajectory of development, including Brazil, China, East Jerusalem, Ethiopia, Ghana, and Thailand. Guest: Amal Abu Awad, PhD, RN, MSN Dr. Abu Awad serves as the Chief Nursing Officer at Augusta Victoria Hospital. She has an educational background that includes a baccalaureate degree in nursing from Al-Quds University in the West Bank, a master's degree in pediatric and neonatal nursing from the University of South Carolina, and a doctoral degree in nursing from the University of Wisconsin–Madison with a minor in educational leadership and policy analysis. Additionally, Dr. Abu Awad has a significant history in education, having previously worked as the Dean of Ibn Sina College for Health Sciences and as the Director General of Education in Health at the Ministry of Health of the Palestinian Territory. Host: Barbara Bowers, PhD, RN, FAAN, FGSA, Emerita Professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, School of Nursing; Founding Director of the UW–Madison School of Nursing’s Center for Aging Research and Education Moderator: Jing Wang, PhD, RN, FAAN, Assistant Professor at the University of New Hampshire, College of Health and Human Services This podcast limited series is supported by the GSA Innovation Fund.

Understanding Person-Centered Care for Older Adults in Six Developing Countries/Regions: China [Episode 2] Download the Transcript The impact of population aging is universally recognized and has been extensively studied in wealthier, developed regions. But we know much less about how aging is experienced by low- and middle-income countries and populations and how these regions are responding to the challenges created by the aging of their populations. The rapid rate of population aging in many developing parts of the world—fueled by falling fertility rates and a shift in the predominance of chronic diseases rather than acute and infectious illnesses—has left little time to anticipate and prepare for the consequences of aging populations. The GSA Interest Group on Common Data Elements for International Research in Residential Long-term Care has developed a limited podcast series to provide insights into how culture, competing population health priorities, political conflict, and resource limitations influence older adults, their families, and paid/formal caregivers along a trajectory of development, including Brazil, China, East Jerusalem, Ethiopia, Ghana, and Thailand. Guest: Honglin Chen, PhD Dr. Chen is currently a professor of gerontological social work at the University of Eastern Finland. She has been doing research and teaching in aging policy and practice field as a Professor and Vice Chair in the Department of Social Work at Fudan University in Shanghai, China for 20 years. Her current research area focuses on welfare technology, smart elder care, social work education and serves as an editorial board member in the Journal of Social Work. Dr. Chen is also a Sino-America Fulbright Scholar at the Leonard Davis School of Gerontology at the University of Southern California. Host: Barbara Bowers, PhD, RN, FAAN, FGSA, Emerita Professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, School of Nursing; Founding Director of the UW–Madison School of Nursing’s Center for Aging Research and Education Moderator: Jing Wang, PhD, RN, FAAN, Assistant Professor at the University of New Hampshire, College of Health and Human Services This podcast limited series is supported by the GSA Innovation Fund.

Understanding Person-Centered Care for Older Adults in Six Developing Countries/Regions: Brazil [Episode 1] Download the Transcript The impact of population aging is universally recognized and has been extensively studied in wealthier, developed regions. But we know much less about how aging is experienced by low- and middle-income countries and populations and how these regions are responding to the challenges created by the aging of their populations. The rapid rate of population aging in many developing parts of the world—fueled by falling fertility rates and a shift in the predominance of chronic diseases rather than acute and infectious illnesses—has left little time to anticipate and prepare for the consequences of aging populations. The GSA Interest Group on Common Data Elements for International Research in Residential Long-term Care has developed a limited podcast series to provide insights into how culture, competing population health priorities, political conflict, and resource limitations influence older adults, their families, and paid/formal caregivers along a trajectory of development, including Brazil, China, East Jerusalem, Ethiopia, Ghana, and Thailand. Guest: Patrick Alexander Wachholz, PhD Dr. Wachholz is a geriatrician in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and Professor at the Botucatu Medical School at Sao Paulo State University. Dr. Wachholz is also a researcher at the Brazilian National Front for Strengthening Long-Term Care, a network promoting and supporting initiatives for long-term care and advocating for stronger public policies for older adults in this setting. Previously, as a consultant to the Pan American Health Organization for the long-term care sector in Latin America, he served as Director of the Department of Geriatric Medicine in a long-term care facility in Brazil. Dr. Wachholz is currently Editor-in-Chief of Geriatrics, Gerontology and Aging. Host: Barbara Bowers, PhD, RN, FAAN, FGSA, Emerita Professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, School of Nursing; Founding Director of the UW–Madison School of Nursing’s Center for Aging Research and Education Moderator: Jing Wang, PhD, RN, FAAN, Assistant Professor at the University of New Hampshire, College of Health and Human Services This podcast limited series is supported by the GSA Innovation Fund.

This episode is part of a continued series that will provide insights into the experiences of GSA Policy Interns from various cohorts. Join former policy intern Bailee Brekke (’23) as she speaks with the 2021 interns, Lei Chen and Kaleigh Ligus, about their internship experience and how it has impacted their current work. Guest Bios: Lei Chen, PhD, is a postdoctoral scholar at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies. She is a transdisciplinary and cross-cultural researcher whose work focuses on long-term services and supports, immigrants’ access to health care, migrant workforce, aging and health policy, aging and technology, and cross-cultural study. Dr. Chen is working on a National Institutes of Health–funded project that aims to advance research on the health care workforce that serves people living with dementia. She applies quantitative and qualitative methodologies to her research. Before joining UCSF, she worked on several research projects at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Center for Health Policy Research and collaborated with the UCLA Human-Centered Computing and Intelligent Sensing Lab. Dr. Chen also engages in policy-related work such as assisting in developing and implementing the Master Plan for Aging in California. Kaleigh Ligus, PhD, is a social science research analyst at the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation. Her work includes developing, implementing, and evaluating new CMS patient care models aimed at improving Medicare beneficiaries’ health care experiences and health outcomes. Dr. Ligus currently works on the team for the Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience Model. She has been dedicated to serving older adults living with chronic disease since 2015 during her experience at the University of Connecticut (UConn) Health Center on Aging. She earned her doctoral degree in human development and family sciences, with a specialization in adulthood, aging and gerontology, from UConn in 2023. During graduate school, she served as the Greg O’Neill Policy Intern for the Gerontological Society of America (summer 2021) and Health Policy Fellow at AcademyHealth (summer of 2022), working with like-minded community collaborators and political leaders to advocate for health policy change.

This episode is part of a continued series that will provide insights into the experiences of GSA Policy Interns from various cohorts. Join former policy intern Christina Mu (’23) as she speaks with the 2019 intern, Haley Gallo Sutherland, about her internship experience and how it has impacted her current work. Haley was the inaugural intern at the start of the internship in 2019! The internship was started in memory of Dr. Greg O’Neill, an aging and policy champion, longtime GSA member, and beloved friend and colleague. Guest Bio: Haley Gallo Sutherland, PhD, is a researcher at Mathematica, where she contributes to a range of technical assistance and research projects focused on integrating care for people who are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid and using Medicaid home- and community-based services (HCBS). Her work centers on providing states with technical assistance to better integrate Medicare and Medicaid, identifying and filling gaps in states’ HCBS programs, and helping states transition people from institutional settings back to their communities. She analyzes state Medicaid policies to inform federal guidance, presents at webinars and trainings, and develops written resources on various topics for state Medicaid agencies. Her interests focus on studying and improving social and medical programs that enable older adults and people with disabilities to remain in their communities. She earned her doctoral degree in gerontology from the University of Southern California and joined Mathematica in 2022.

This episode is part of a continued series that will provide insights into the experiences of GSA Policy Interns from various cohorts. Join former Policy interns as they delve into details on how and where to learn more about this fantastic opportunity.

In the inaugural episode of the GSA Policy Intern Podcast Series, meet the 2023 GSA Summer Policy Interns. Alisha Thompson, Bailee Brekke, and Christina Mu, who have aptly named themselves Team ABC, briefly introduce themselves and the series. The series aims to share the experiences of GSA Policy Interns both past and prese nt, provide insights on how to connect with this year’s interns during and after the Annual Scientific Meeting, and will include interviews with colleagues of Drs. Greg O’Neil and Kathy Hyer, for whom the internship is named. The episode serves as a brief introduction and focuses primarily on where and how listeners can connect with the interns during the Annual Scientific Meeting in Tampa. They mention attending events like the New Member/First-Timer Orientation, an ESPO informal chat about the Summer Policy Internship, and a Policy Series Symposium chaired by Trish D’Antonio. They also discuss the application deadline for the internship, which is January 31, and invite prospective applicants to join a GSA Policy Internship Webinar on January 12. Team ABC expresses their excitement about sharing their internship experiences in the upcoming episodes and looks forward to meeting the audience in Tampa. The episode concludes with Alisha, Bailee, and Christina signing off as Team ABC.

The podcast episode will tell specific stories to illustrate the wide range of work members of the interest group are conducting on the impact of human-animal interaction and aging. The members of this group represent the interdisciplinary nature of both gerontology and anthrozoology (i.e., the field of human-animal interaction). This episode will be comprised of two main topics: 1. The connections between gerontology and human-animal interaction and the establishment of the interest group in 2016; 2. Current work being conducted by members of the group around the world. Selected Citations from the episode: https://doi.org/10.1111/hsc.13113https://doi.org/10.1111/hsc.13601https://doi.org/10.1093/geroni/igac080https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.946962https://doi.org/10.3390/geriatrics6010017 Guests: Co-Hosts:

Eighty-one year old Lincoln Phillips is a former soccer coach at Howard University who led the men's team to win its first NCAA Division I Championship in 1971. He is also the first Black professional soccer coach in US history and the first Black coach to win an NCAA tournament. His story has been documented on ESPN’s SportsCenter of this historical win. Produced by the celebrated Spike Lee, this documentary highlights Mr. Phillips’ and the Howard University soccer team’s historic win (Howard University's Soccer Redemption Song: A Spike Lee Lil' Joint - The Shadow League). Guest: Coach Lincoln Phillips Co-Hosts: Tamara A. Baker, PhD (founder and co-convener of the GSA HBCU Collaborative Interest Group); and Alyssa Gamaldo, PhD (GSA HBCU Collaborative Interest Group and BSS Section member)

Dr. Harry R. Moody joins the GSA Religion, Spirituality, and Aging Interest Group to share religious concerns and spiritual insights on paths to being a nobody. Listen for more as we plumb depths of storytelling, scientific research, public health, wisdom, love and aging. We hope our conversation will help hearts come alive, even for a tiny second. Recommended Reading: Guest: Harry (Rick) Moody, PhD, Visiting Faculty, Fielding Graduate University. Host: Stephen John Fogle, Doctoral Candidate, University of Nebraska at Omaha.

Dr. Degenholtz interviewed Shabnam Haghzare, PhD about her paper, “Can Automated Vehicles Be Useful to Persons Living With Dementia? The Perspectives of Care Partners of People Living With Dementia”, published in The Gerontologist last year. Dr. Haghzare completed this work as part of her doctoral dissertation in biomedical engineering at the University of Toronto where she was also a postdoctoral researcher at the KITE Research Institute at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute at Toronto University. KITE stands for “Knowledge, Innovation, Talent, Everywhere.” She is currently an Artificial Intelligence consultant at Institut national de santé publique du Québec. Check out “Automated Vehicles for People With Dementia: A ‘Tremendous Potential’ That ‘Has Ways to go’--Reports of a Qualitative Study,” related work by Dr. Haghzare and colleagues also published in The Gerontologist. You can learn more about Dr. Haghzare’s research at https://www.shabnamhaghzare.com/ and follow her @ShabnamHZare.

The use of cannabis among older adults is increasing in the United States. While cannabis use has been suggested to help alleviate chronic symptoms experienced by older adults, its potential adverse effects may lead to unintended consequences, including increased acute healthcare utilization related to its use. This GSA Policy Profile delves into what has happened in the environment since 2021 when GSA published Medical Use of Cannabidiol in Older Adults, which was based on a convening of experts in pharmacy, clinical medicine, research, law, and policy. Additional resources: Common Terminology & Glossary (April 2023 Version) Cannabis Infographic FDA Regulation of Cannabis and Cannabis-Derived Products, Including Cannabidiol (CBD) Download the Transcript Guests: Libby Baney, J.D., Partner, Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP Carmen Witsken, PharmD, Executive Fellow in Association Leadership and Management at American Society of Consultant Pharmacists Host: Patricia M. "Trish" D'Antonio, BSPharm, MS, MBA, BCGP, Vice President, Policy and Professional Affairs, The Gerontological Society of America. This podcast episode is supported by Jazz Pharmaceuticals

A staffing crisis in long-term care has created challenges for residents, caregivers, and direct care workers. Despite the decreasing number of cases of COVID-19, interest in long-term care employment continues to dwindle. This staffing crisis, which resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic, has become a chronic problem. This podcast episode will feature the work and insights of GSA members Katherine McGilton, PhD, RN, FAAN, FGSA, and Barbara Bowers, PhD, RN, FAAN, FGSA. Dr. McGilton’s research focus is on the care of persons with cognitive impairment, particularly in identifying interventions and models of care delivery that lead to effective patient outcomes. She also has experience in outcome measure development and has published on various aspects of intervention and outcomes in dementia care, rehabilitation care, and long-term care. Dr. Bowers has conducted research with frail, older adults to examine how nursing staff and long-term care systems impact quality of life and quality of care. She has worked with state and federal government bodies to develop, implement, and evaluate public policies affecting older adults. Guests: Barbara Bowers PhD, RN, FAAN, FGSA, Professor Emerita, School of Nursing, University of Wisconsin–Madison; and Katherine McGilton, PhD, RN, FAAN, FGSA, Senior Scientist, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute–University Health Network, Scientist, KITE Research Institute at University Health Network, and Professor, Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto. Host: Kirsten N. Corazzini, PhD, FGSA, Dean and Professor, University of New Hampshire College of Health and Human Services. This podcast episode is supported by the GSA Innovation Fund.

Dr. Degenholtz interviewed Dr. Reuben Ng at the Le Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore about two papers on ageism on TikTok published in The Gerontologist. In "Not Too Old for TikTok: How Older Adults Are Reframing Aging", he and his co-author examine how older adults use TikTok, and in "Hostility Toward Baby Boomers on TikTok", they examine the reaction of younger adults to the ways that older adults use TikTok. Taken together, these two papers shed light on fascinating sub-cultures of the virtual world. Both articles are published in the October 2022 issue of The Gerontologist.

Dr. Degenholtz interviewed Dr. Kathy Black at the University of South Florida about her article, "Assessing Age-Friendly Community Progress: What Have We Learned?", which appeared in the special issue of The Gerontologist, Age-Friendly Environments. Dr. Black's article led off the special issue and summarized the overall performance of age-friendly communities. For an overview of the special issue, check out the editorial by Dr. Meeks: Age-Friendly Communities: Introduction to the Special Issue

State and federal policies influence care delivery in long-term care facilities in a variety of ways. Following the President’s 2022 State of the Union Address, the White House Fact Sheet: Protecting Seniors by Improving Safety and Quality of Care in the Nation’s Nursing Homes highlighted four new initiatives from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to help ensure adequate staffing, dignity, and safety in their accommodations and quality of care. Each state is also guided by distinct and different regulations. This podcast episode will feature the work and insights of GSA members Tara McMullan, PhD, MPH, and Anna Beeber, PhD, RN, FGSA, FAAN. Dr. McMullen’s work focuses on quality in post-acute and long-term care settings, policy and aging, and the direct care workforce, including scope of practice. Dr. McMullen is a technical advisor for the CMS Division of Chronic and Post-Acute Care. Dr. Beeber’s research focuses on improving the quality of care for older adults living in long-term care settings, in particular examining staffing, service delivery, and resident outcomes to guide future efforts at matching services with needs. Guests: Tara McMullen, PhD, MPH, Adjunct Faculty, Master of Science in Aging and Health Program, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Georgetown University; and Anna Beeber, PhD, RN, FGSA, FAAN, Associate Professor, Associate Dean for Faculty Development, Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing. Host: Sarah Dys, PhD, MPA, Research Associate, Institute on Aging, Portland State University. This podcast episode is supported by the GSA Innovation Fund.

Amid persistently inadequate numbers of direct care workers for resident care, long-term care administrators and staff members continue in their attempts to provide care for residents. The staffing crisis has led to regulatory issues, new sanctions from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and benchmarks for quality of care while facilities care for frail and dependent residents in the best ways possible given the circumstances. Moreover, the staffing crisis has resulted in the experience of moral distress for many direct health care workers. Moral distress occurs when health care professionals cannot act on their own moral judgment or what they believe to be right in a particular situation because of institutional or internal constraints. This podcast episode will feature the work and insights of GSA members Ozcan Tunalilar, PhD, and Beth Galik, PhD, CRNP, FAAN, FAANP. Dr. Tunalilar’s research examines the role of organizational, contextual, and socioeconomic factors that contribute to the reproduction of inequalities in access to high-quality long-term care and in residents’ experiences in the long-term care system. Dr. Galik’s research has focused on care for residents of nursing homes and assisted living facilities, functional and cognitive assessment, and enhancement of the geriatric workforce. Guests: Ozcan Tunalilar, PhD, Assistant Professor, Toulan School of Urban Studies and Planning, Institute on Aging, Portland State University; and Elizabeth Galik, PhD, CRNP, FAAN, FAANP, Professor and Chair, Organizational Systems and Adult Health, University of Maryland School of Nursing. Host: Debra Dobbs, PhD, Associate Professor, College of Behavioral and Community Sciences, School of Aging Studies, and Academic Director, Center for Hospice, Palliative Care, and End-of-Life Studies, University of South Florida. This podcast episode is supported by the GSA Innovation Fund.