- Geriatric Care and Nursing Homes
- Mental Health and Patient Involvement
- Palliative Care and End-of-Life Issues
- Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research
- Art Therapy and Mental Health
- Family and Patient Care in Intensive Care Units
- Aging and Gerontology Research
- Health and Well-being Studies
- Patient Dignity and Privacy
- Intergenerational Family Dynamics and Caregiving
- Family Caregiving in Mental Illness
- Family Support in Illness
- Frailty in Older Adults
- Grief, Bereavement, and Mental Health
- Diabetes Management and Education
- Health and Medical Research Impacts
- Service-Learning and Community Engagement
- Migration, Aging, and Tourism Studies
- Nutrition and Health in Aging
- Cancer survivorship and care
- Health Systems, Economic Evaluations, Quality of Life
- Resilience and Mental Health
- Interprofessional Education and Collaboration
- Ethics in Clinical Research
- Patient-Provider Communication in Healthcare
Knoxville College
2023-2025
University of Tennessee at Knoxville
2022-2025
University of Tennessee System
2022-2024
University of Utah
2018-2024
Purpose The purpose of this study was to understand the lived experiences family caregivers who provide care individuals across a broad range ages, caregiving relationships, and health conditions and/or disabilities. Family caregiver research is typically siloed by condition or relationship, leaving gaps in understanding similarities differences among caregivers.
Several interventions for care partners of persons living with dementia target the negative effects behavioral symptoms. Evidence suggests that actively engaging improves outcomes. However, there is little information on best approaches to optimize active engagement. Enhancing Active Caregiver Training (EnACT) an arts-based intervention designed help address symptoms dementia. The purpose this study describe process partnering ( n = 9) refine EnACT. We conducted a series three iterative...
A legacy of values (e.g., letter) is a nonlegal way to intentionally communicate intangible assets values, life lessons, and emotional supportive instruction) with others. There scant research on creation outside palliative care context, no studies have explored the experiences community-dwelling older adults creating values. As part an exploratory sequential mixed methods study, we conducted semistructured interviews (N = 16) who had previously created We analyzed transcribed using...
Millennial caregivers, born between 1981 and 1996, are an understudied caregiver group. They experience stress-related consequences of caregiving unique in their developmental stage generational norms. The purpose this study was to understand the context stressors for these caregivers. In total, 42 caregivers were recruited through Research Match social media platforms. Caregivers completed online surveys with open-ended response questions 15 semistructured interviews. Data analyzed...
Objective: Me & My Wishes involves videos of persons living with dementia talking about their end-of-life (EOL) care preferences. This study aimed to examine the concordance EOL treatment and psychosocial preferences expressed by assisted community nursing home residents in these family staff knowledge Design: Randomized wait-list control. Setting/Subjects: Assisted United States, members caregivers. Measurements: Five (cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR, breathing machine, tube feeding,...
Nurses working in the long-term care (LTC) setting provide increasingly complex patient care, often without formal training on specific needs of LTC patients, which can lead to burnout and high turnover rates. Nurse residency programs (NRPs) have been used effectively orient novice RNs their work setting, address transition-to-practice challenges, promote retention, yet few NRPs developed. The University Utah Geriatric Education Consortium Workforce Enhancement Program created an online NRP...
OBJECTIVE Diabetes technology has improved the lives of people with diabetes (PWD), but there is little research on how insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) affect couples’ relationships. The purpose this study was to examine use affects couple interactions. METHODS In a secondary data analysis, we used multiple-method qualitative including constant-comparison approach, similarities differences in interactions related technology. PWD their spouses were interviewed...
Interventions that actively engage dementia caregivers show promise in reducing the negative outcomes of caregiving but lack optimization and systematic testing. The purpose this manuscript is to describe an iterative process developed refine intervention enhance active engagement. A three-stage review with content experts was activities preparation for focus group feedback pilot We identified vignettes, reorganized engagement techniques, optimized online delivery promote caregiver access...
Abstract Applied qualitative researchers are charged with critically reviewing what is currently known about a topic and moving beyond this initial knowledge as data analysis progresses to develop useful relevant final product by connecting the theory. However, little practical guidance exists for how use research findings advance prior or theory, which can be especially challenging novice researchers. The purpose of presentation provide guide transparently report their assumptions thinking...
Abstract This symposium brings together five complementary papers focused on promoting the perspectives of older adults using applied methods in qualitative research. It underscores importance embedding lived experiences and unique into fabric research processes outcomes. Neller et al. present a six-step process for framing, critically evaluating, revising prior knowledge within They discuss development advancement conceptual framework from their study exploring adults’ creating legacy...
Abstract The process of actively engaging dementia caregivers in interventions has been insufficiently studied. This limits our understanding on how best to improve interventions. Enhancing Active Caregiver Training (EnACT) was developed facilitate active engagement using participant-informed vignettes that portray caregiving experiences. We conducted a randomized waitlist-controlled pilot study test the feasibility and acceptability EnACT with group 30 persons living dementia. Participants...
Abstract Previous studies have been primarily focused on documenting the negative impact of caregiving quality life. However, such a perspective overlooks potentially positive outcomes that it can bring into caregiver’s The purpose current examination was to explore how history informal for six months or more influences beliefs about well-being later in We used data from Health and Retirement Study Life History Surveys, which were combined with measures Psychosocial Lifestyle Questionnaires...
Long-term care (LTC) nursing is challenged by caring for individuals with increasingly complex chronic conditions in a highly regulated environment. LTC RNs are less likely to be baccalaureate prepared and few have received gerontological or leadership training. Post-graduate nurse residency programs (NRPs) intent on helping new nurses transition into independent practice common acute settings reported increase confidence job satisfaction decrease turnover. We established 9-month NRP working...
IntroductionAdults 65 years of age or older with metastatic cancer face complicated treatment decisions. Few studies have explored the process oncology clinicians during clinic encounters. Our exploratory study evaluated whether symptom burden functional status impacted decision conversations between adults, caregivers, and in a single National Cancer Institute within Mountain West region.Materials methodsWe conducted an observational, convergent mixed methods longitudinal November 2019...
Abstract Background Behavioral symptoms affect up to 90% of persons living with dementia. 1 While interventions have been developed help caregivers manage symptoms, , these show only weak moderate effect size. 2 The most successful psychoeducational use active‐engagement techniques facilitate the application knowledge and skills. 2‐5 Yet optimization systematic testing is lacking. 2‐6 By optimizing techniques, we may strengthen caregiver preparation. Enhancing Active Caregiver Training...
Abstract Several interventions for dementia caregivers target the negative effects of behavioral symptoms. Evidence suggests that actively engaging in training and preparation improves outcomes, such as reduced caregiver burden, depression, improved subjective well-being. However, there is little information on best approaches to optimize active engagement. Enhancing Active Caregiver Training (EnACT) an arts-based intervention facilitates engagement using participant-informed vignettes...
Abstract Active engagement is identified as an effective component of psychoeducational interventions for caregivers persons living with dementia. There are many approaches to active engagement; however, limited assessment this within reduces optimization and standardization. To fill gap increase transparency, we aimed strengthen by developing Enhancing Caregiver Training (EnACT), arts-based intervention designed help address the behavioral symptoms The uses multi-sensory activities,...
Abstract Me & My Wishes are person-centered videos of long term care residents (ages 65-95) living with dementia discussing their preferences for including end-of-life (EOL) medical intervention. We evaluated the congruence six EOL treatment between residents’ personal videos, records (e.g. advance directive), and surveys family (n= 49) staff (n=37; 118 responses) knowledge preferences. Results were highly discordant. Treatments most discordance when comparing to comparison groups IV...
Abstract The behavioral symptoms of dementia negatively affect family caregivers. Several interventions have been developed to support caregiver needs, and evidence suggests improved outcomes when actively engage However, the strategies implement active engagement techniques not sufficiently studied. Enhancing Active Caregiver Training (EnACT) is an arts-based intervention aimed at engaging caregivers as they view interact with participant-informed vignettes that portray caregiving...
Abstract Creating a legacy of values (e.g., letter) is way to promote generativity by communicating emotional and supportive instruction values, life lessons) others. This study aimed a) understand the process how older adults create b) identify contextual factors surrounding creation, c) describe adults’ experiences creation. We recruited community-dwelling who had previously created participate in semi-structured interviews. Interpretive description guided data collection analysis....