Investigators to advance research and care of the elderly

The demographics are dauanting: between 2005 and 2030, the number of adults 65 and over in the United States is expected to nearly double.

"With the increasing numbers of older adults, it's critical that nurses have the ability to provide exemplary care to these individuals—no matter what area of nursing you're in," notes Professor Barbara Resnick, PhD, CRNP, FAAN, FAANP, Sonia Ziporkin Gershowitz Chair in Gerontology.

She is co-director, with Professor Sue Thomas, PhD, RN, FAAN, of the School of Nursing's Developing Center of Excellence in Aging. Launched in December 2009, the developing center brings together investigators within the School of Nursing and interdisciplinary colleagues from across all professional schools on the University of Maryland, Baltimore campus—and institutions nationally and internationally—to advance research and care of the elderly.

"Our goal is to develop innovative interventions and disseminate and implement them in real world settings," says Resnick. Currently, School of Nursing researchers are exploring vital clinical problems around the state, and they work within a variety of settings, from nursing homes to senior housing.

Traditionally nursing has focused on providing care to older adults, says Resnick. That's changing.

"We're no longer just focused on performing care for the individual. Instead, nursing helps older adults to participate in optimizing recovery, health, function, and physical activity, regardless of age or underlying comorbidities," Resnick says.

"We want to get them doing as much as possible for themselves--whether that means regaining mobility after a hip fracture, or, for those with advanced dementia, being able to feed themselves.

"We're changing how nurses provide care to older adults," says Resnick. "We're not willing to accept the way things have always been done."