Aging Research Projects
We currently have three funded projects and several others proposals that are under review or are being prepared.
Building Aging Competencies: Gerontology Training for Counselors
Summary:
In direct alignment with the General Assembly of Virginia’s Geriatric Training and Education (GTE) initiative, the “Building Aging Competencies: Gerontology Training for Counselors” program will offer two ˝-day conferences to counselors during the Winter and Spring of 2010. The program funded by the GTE initiative is intended to develop and enhance the skills and capacities of not only a population of current and future counselors, but potential researchers and policymakers that can benefit long-term by expanded knowledge towards aging competency. The program will advance the “elder-friendly community vision” and adoption of a continuum of care to support the increasing needs of older adults. As lead organization, The Center for Excellence in Aging and Geriatric Health in Williamsburg, Virginia has created a partnership with The College of William & Mary’s Department of Counselor Education and Virginia Association of Marriage and Family Counseling. This collaborative effort will provide gerontological education to both counseling students and professionals already actively involved in the community. The program partners have a strong history of adult and aging-related experience, and share similar missions dedicated to advancing the education of professionals to meet future needs of the community. Speakers will be invited to provide content-rich information on their area of gerontological expertise.
Why This Project is Important:
Currently, counselors have limited opportunities to expand their knowledge in gerontology. This program will provide the groundwork for the continued educational support and competencies of counseling students, expanded to other professions in the future, and the opportunity to publish best practices for other organizations developing a similar partnership with educational institutions.
Timeframe: January 1, 2010 – June 30, 2010
Funder:
The Virginia Geriatric Training and Education Initiative through the Virginia Center on Aging
February 20, 2010 Presentations:
Help for Family Caregivers in the Williamsburg Community
Summary:
This project will develop and provide caregiver education for community support groups that address chronic illnesses or conditions. These objectives will be met by 1) training support group leaders in new models of delivering caregiver support groups; 2) training professionals to utilize a caregiver’s assessment tool; and 3) promoting and improving caregiver access to respite services.
Why This Project is Important:
More than one-quarter of all U.S households are involved in some form of elder care. Since the Greater Williamsburg Area has a population of older adults (22%) above the state (13%) and national (13%) estimates, education is a critical component for caregivers and providers who offer services for them and their care recipients. As recently acknowledged by the CDC, caregiver health has become a primary public health agenda item. Caregivers often overlook their own mental and physical needs and this project is intended to help caregivers become more proactive by offering direct education, support, and linkage with community resources.
Timeframe: November 2008 – April 2010
Funder:
Williamsburg Community Health Foundation
Overcoming Barriers to Care for Older Adults with Cognitive Impairments and Substance Use Disorders
Summary:
The project will be able to identify and describe the types of substances older adults are abusing. Also, the causes for the abuse and how the abuse is linked to dementia will be revealed. In addition, barriers to treatment will be uncovered. Interviews with older residents and focus groups with area counselors and healthcare providers will determine the appropriate settings for treatment. The information gleaned from these interviews and focus groups will inform the framework for the targeted outpatient program and the opportunity to pilot the Florida BRITE Project. An assessment instrument, specific for the clients that will be reached by this program, will be piloted.
Why This Project is Important:
Substance abuse by older adults with cognitive impairments is a hidden problem in our society. Adding to the complexity of substance misuse and abuse in older adults is memory loss, which may or may not be connected to the substance use. Some of the substance misuse may be unintentional and impacted by the number of prescription medications being taken and the presence of dementia. This project will: assess issues of substance abuse as it relates to issues of aging, particularly memory loss. How frequently is a dual diagnosis made? What are the warning signs and predictors? How is treatment most effectively delivered? These and other questions will be examined.
Timeframe: June 2009 – May 2010
Funder: Piedmont Geriatric Hospital
The following is a sample of completed research projects.
Williamsburg Community Action Plan on Aging: 2010-2020
On June 1, 2009 CEAGH submitted a final report and the Williamsburg Community Action Plan on Aging (CAPOA): 2010-2020 to the Senior Services Coalition.
Executive Summary:
On August 18, 2008, the Center for Excellence in Aging and Geriatric Health (CEAGH) entered into a contract with the Senior Services Coalition (SSC) to prepare a Community Action Plan On Aging (herein referred to as CAPOA). This Plan delineates goals, strategies, and action steps that can be implemented by the SSC, the three jurisdictions, and the community over the next ten years to assure the Greater Williamsburg Area is a “more livable community for seniors.” Plans in a variety of communities, including Charlottesville, Arlington, and Fairfax, Virginia and Boston, Massachusetts have been evaluated.
The initial step in the development of this CAPOA occurred through a review of previously conducted Williamsburg community needs assessments. Second, an examination of demographic data was completed. The Greater Williamsburg Area has become a retirement destination for many individuals. Currently, the 60-plus population represents 20.44% of the total community population. The community will experience an additional increase in the senior population, to nearly 30%, by 2030. The third step involved a compilation of current community services, resources, long-term facilities, and other support programs for seniors. The fourth step was to gather input from the community via three forums held in October and November 2008. More than 160 people, including retirees and seniors, service providers, leaders from religious organizations, and other community leaders, participated in these forums. As a result of input received during these three forums, it became evident that four priority areas deserved additional time and resources. The four priority areas include: - Awareness of and Access to Resources: Helping seniors and caregivers navigate community resources.
- Vulnerable Seniors: Focusing on the needs of hidden populations including isolated and frail seniors, low-income seniors and those with mental health issues.
- Housing and Neighborhood Support: Offering affordable and accessible housing options as well as designing neighborhoods to be age-friendly.
- Seniors as a Resource: Valuing the contribution of all seniors and enhancing opportunities for engagement in the community.
In January 2009, a fourth and final community forum, bringing together nearly 100 members of the community, was held to review the main points and recommendations raised during the previous forums. Additionally, the final forum served to engage the community in prioritizing the goals for the CAPOA and in identifying responsible partners. Panelists included experts representing the four priority areas for the CAPOA. Subsequently, these four areas serve as the key issues to be addressed in the CAPOA.
Goals and Strategies:
Goals, objectives, action steps, time frames, potential partners, and potential funding sources for the four priority issues are outlined in the CAPOA. It is important to note that the information simply provides a framework for implementation. Inherent in this framework is flexibility to accomplish the goals as other means for achieving success in the four priority areas may arise as the implementation proceeds. Each goal is stated such that it is a broad, overarching aim for the community to address. The action steps, written in the form of strategies, include specific activities and steps that can be initiated toward realizing the respective goal. The metrics are simply a form of measurement to assess progress in determining the goal’s effectiveness. The time frames involve target dates for completion and will be dependent upon the commitment of the partners and funders. The identified list of potential partners and potential funders is not exhaustive but rather serves as a guide from which to execute the CAPOA.
Recommendations for Implementation:
It is critical that the larger Williamsburg community embrace and adopt the CAPOA by bringing together seniors, healthcare and service providers, community leaders, and funding partners. A number of recommendations were raised during the forums and in consultation with the SSC. In addition, the careful evaluation of other community and state plans provided valuable information into the development of the goals, strategies, and recommendations for the implementation of the CAPOA. It is clear that implementing the CAPOA is a process and will be most successful when addressing each of the following recommendations:
- Strive to make Williamsburg a model community for its older residents by accepting and instilling the “elder-friendly community” vision;
- Adopt a continuum of care approach;
- Coordinate with organizations and jurisdictions in their planning efforts by working together to support seniors;
- Explore a consultative business partnership with the Jefferson Area Board on Aging (Charlottesville, Virginia) to discover more about the implementation and sustainability of their model plan;
- Seek funding to support the implementation of the CAPOA and employ a full-time staff person to lead the implementation of the CAPOA;
- Develop a communication plan for reporting progress on the CAPOA; and
- Institute an annual review process for measuring performance and implementation of the CAPOA.
The CAPOA is a ten-year plan and because it involves ongoing evaluation to determine its effectiveness, it is possible that issues, other than those identified in the four priority areas, will emerge. It will be important for the SSC and the implementation team to assist in verifying these emerging issues and to determine if and how these new matters will be addressed. |
