Miami University Oxford, Ohio Fall 2010 www.scrippsaging.org
AGE AND AGENCY “It is not by the gray of the hair that one knows the age of the heart.” Edward Bulwer-Lytton
INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Welcome New & Returning Students
Miami & Scripps Welcome
New and Returning Gerontology Graduate Students
p1
Research & Reports p 2 Director’s Column p 3 Meet the New Students
p 4-5
Summer Practicums p 6 Gerontology Student Gets Grant for Local Community Center p 7 Farewell, Abbe/ Calendar & Events 8
p
We are all aging. Age and Agency, an original publication of the Scripps Gerontology Center, serves to examine the dynamics of aging while providing information on the contributions we make to improve the lives of aging people. Through this newsletter, we intend to update friends, colleagues, and students about our activities in research and scholarship, education and training, and professional service.
Miami’s Department of Sociology and Gerontology and the Scripps Gerontology Center welcomed 13 new students into the university’s graduate programs in gerontology for the Fall 2010 semester. Four of the new students are in the inaugural joint master’s degree program in population and social gerontology (MPSG) and will study this year at Miami and next year at Mahidol Unniversity, in Bangkok, Thailand.
Seven others are master of gerontological studies (MGS) students, and two more are new to the PhD in social gerontology program. Altogether, Miami now has 43 graduate students in gerontology (26 PhD, 13 MGS, and 4 MPSG). The students represent 11 countries, making this year’s group the largest and most diverse yet. Find out more about our new students on pages four and five of this newsletter.
Age and Agency, Vol. 20 - Scripps Gerontology Center of Miami University in Oxford, Ohio
Page 2
Fall 2010
Research & Publications
Risk Factors for Falling Among PASSPORT Clients, AAAs Integral to Choices in Aging Services “Fall Risk Factors in CommunityDwelling Elderly Who Receive Medicaid-Supported Home- and Community-Based Services” (2010), Takashi Yamashita, Haesang Jeon, John Bailer, Ian Nelson and Shahla Mehdizadeh. This study, accepted for publication in the Journal of Aging and Health, developed a model for identifying risk factors for falls among frail, older persons. It is based on data from 23,812 clients in Ohio’s PASSPORT program, which provides in-home services to older Ohioans qualifying for nursing home care. A variety of risk factors for falling were analyzed in this population using logistic regression. Based on the study, the 10 leading risk factors for falling among frail, older home-care recipients are: previous history of falls; age (the older, the more likely to fall); Caucasian race more susceptible (than African-Americans); incontinence; medications (the more medications, the more likely to fall); fewer activities of daily living (ADL) limitations; unsteady gait; tremors; absence of grasp weakness; and absence of supervision. Interestingly, as observed above, fewer ADL limitations and “absence of grasp weakness” translated into risk factors, perhaps due to an overly confident approach to movement. The study concludes that: “Because these (10) risk factors are already measured during the eligibility-determination process, use of existing information about PASSPORT participants is a first step in developing a simple screening tool for case managers to identify those who may be at a higher risk of falling. With regard to
practice, incorporating the fall screening tools and intervention programs (e.g., The Timed-Up and Go test; Choices Stepping Reaction Time test; and Stand Up!) is recommended to prevent falls in home-care services. With regard to future study, careful selection of variables considering the characteristics of the focused population should be practiced, particularly in the study of the frail, old-
“The Role of the Aging Services Network in Balancing and Transforming the Long-Term Care System” (2010), Suzanne Kunkel & Abbe Lackmeyer. This recently published article (Public Policy & Aging Report, Vol. 20, No. 1) states that our country’s 629 area agencies on aging (AAAs) and 243 Tribal Organizations (Title VI programs) are playing an increasingly central role in providing older Ameri-
cans more choice and autonomy regarding home- and community-based (HCBS) services. One very noticeable result, according to the article, has been a steadily rising percentage of Medicaid long-term care spending directed to HCBS, a proportion that has grown from just 13 percent in 1990 to over 40 percent in 2007. The article also notes that the shift away from institutional services for older Americans is driven by both the comparatively high cost of such care and an increase in “consumer demands for options that better reflect their preferences.” A key indicator of those preferences, observes Suzanne Kunkel, PhD, director of the Scripps Gerontology Center and co-author of the article, has been the nationwide growth of consumer-directed homecare programs, including in Ohio via the Choices initiative in the central, northwest and southeast parts of the state. Consumer-directed services which generally allow clients to hire and direct family, friends, neighbors and others to provide their services in a manner most convenient and efficient for them - are now offered by nearly half (48%) of all AAAs. Additionally, the report reveals that 82 percent of the country’s AAAs serve as single points of entry for those seeking aging-related services for themselves and/or their loved ones, and that nearly all (94%) AAAs offer health-promotion activities as well as caregiver-support programs (93.7%).
For more information on Scripps research projects and publications, please see the Scripps website: http://www.scrippsaging.org and click on “research,” then select “current research” and/ or “publications”; or call 513/529-2914.
Fall 2010
Page 3
Updates from Upham Director’s Notes Another school year has begun, and we are busy! New students, new research projects, and a new joint master’s degree program in population studies and gerontology (MPSG) with Mahidol University in Bangkok, Thailand, have gotten us off to a great start. Additionally, with the recent debut of our newly improved website (www.scrippsaging.org), we’ve got a brand new way of helping all of you keep more up-to-date with all of the educational, research and service-related activities going on here at Scripps. The home page of our new website features colorful, rotating photographs of our staff, students and beautiful campus, and plenty of interactive links to connect readers to larger bodies of information on matters of interest and importance to them. For example, the site includes a changing series of Did You Know? facts that, with a click of the mouse, will connect readers to the full report from which the fact(s) came. Similarly, our home page offers a series of titles under the headings of
Dr. Suzanne Kunkel “New Publications,” “Events,” and “News,”that, with a quick click, will link readers to our most recent publications and reports, upcoming events, and items of general interest regarding faculty, staff and students. For those who’ve grown used to our former website, don’t worry, the home page will keep the original directory (“Home,” “About Us,” “Research,” “Publications,” “Graduate Programs,” “Events,” “Newsletter,”
•
“Links,” and “Contact Us”). The new website is more eye-catching and places more emphasis on current activities and links to larger bodies of information, including over 100 aging-related organizations. Soon, we will be adding a special web page to help readers keep up with our alums and all that they are achieving on behalf of older persons in this country and around the world. And, for those of you who may wish to support our work here at Scripps, the new website offers a Support the Center link that allows for monthly, quarterly and yearly online pledges, as well as bequests and other one-time donations. Regardless of form of support, please know that your interest in our work here at Scripps is much appreciated, and we hope our new website makes it easier for all of you to join us in helping make the world a better place in which to grow old.
Matters of Fact
Sincerely, Suzanne Kunkel, Director Scripps Gerontology Center
Americans, with an average life expectancy of approximately 78 years, rank 27th among 170 countries charted by the World Health Organization. (Professor Scott Lynch, Cottrell Lecture, 2010)
•
African Americans, with an average life expectancy of under 72 years, would rank 70th among other countries (if disaggregated from the rest of the U.S. population). (ibid.)
•
Licensed social workers and nurses are employed in over half (64% & 52.0%, respectively) of area agencies on aging. (Scripps)
•
Information and Referral Specialists and Case Managers are the most common AAA positions, with 84.4% and 73.5% of AAAs, respectively, employing people in these staff positions. (ibid.)
Page 4
Fall 2010
Scripps Welcomes New Students Miami University’s Department of Sociology and Gerontology and the Scripps Gerontology Center welcomed 13 new students into the university’s graduate programs in gerontology this Fall 2010. Scripps held an informal student-faculty/staff “get-acquainted” lunch in the Scripps Library on Aug. 20 to get the year started on a friendly note.
degree in sociology), a small liberal arts school with an emphasis on international study, in Towson, Md. Courtney solidified a childhood appreciation of older persons and gerontology (via a close relationship with her grandparents and other elders) while working as a senior-service volunteer coordina-
First-Year MGS Students
First-Year MPSG Students
Amber Cable – Amber is an Indiana native who has bachelor degrees in both sociology and Germanic studies from Indiana University. She took to the field of aging early on while growing up as “a disciple of my grandparents,” and her special interests in gerontology include intergenerational relationships and the re-integration of older persons into the community and society, particularly the oldest old.
Suporn Jaratsit – Suporn holds an undergraduate degree in statistics from Kasetsart University in Thailand as well as a master’s degree in population development from Thailand’s National Institute of Development Administration. She is most interested in long-term care and finds the study of gerontology appealing because it integrates so many other academic and social fields. Rungphet Phatchana – Rungphet (“Phet”), from Thailand, earned his undergraduate degree in European public health from Maastricht University in Maastricht, Netherlands. Phet observes that more people around the world are living longer lives, and he would like to help plan and carry out the next steps to ensure that quality of life improves along with its quantiy. Courtney Pycraft – Courtney comes from Oberlin, Ohio, by way of Goucher College (bachelor’s
in the program” to further her education in gerontology here. Hannah’s interest in aging stems from the personal experience of caring for her grandparents. She is particularly drawn to global aging and issues of aging related to veterans, immigrants and crosscultural relationships.
Phet Phatchana, new MPSG student from Thailand tor at the Stanley M. Isaacs Neighborhood Center in New York City (East Harlem) after graduation from college. Her research interests include health and aging and cross-cultural aging. Hannah Stohry – Hannah is an Indiana native who has also lived in Europe and Asia. She has a bachelor’s degree in social work from Miami University and “was influenced by some friends
Sarah Hahn – Sarah, from New Jersey, has bachelor degrees in psychology and sociology (with a concentration in gerontology) from the State University of New York in Cortland. Sarah was inspired to pursue gerontology by a college professor whose passion for the subject was contagious. She says that “right now, my interests are scattered all over the field of aging. I want to take in as much as possible, and I hope that within my first year I can narrow it down more.”
Page 5
Fall 2010
Summer Practicums Scripps Welcomes New Students
Field Placements Send Gerontolog (Continued)y Students Near and Far Ho Sang Lee – Ho Sang is from South Korea and, more recently, California. He holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of California at Irvine and is particularly interested in psychology as related to older persons “and how the aging of a family member can affect the whole family.” James Muruthi – James (“J.R.”) is from Naivasha, Kenya, and last spring earned a bachelor’s degree in gerontology and interdisciplinary studies from Miami University. J.R.’s interest in gerontology comes from a close relationship with his grandmother, and he hopes to focus on global aging and aging policy to improve life for older persons, worldwide, and especially for those in Kenya. You can read more about J.R. and his accomplishments as an undergraduate on page seven. Alex Vincent – Alex was born in Dayton, but grew up in Jamestown, New York. Alex has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Miami University and would like to help improve the quality of services and care in long-term care facilities. Eventually, he hopes to become an administrator of a long-term care facility. Anthony Williams – Anthony is a native of the Cincinnati area (Norwood) and has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Miami University. He first became interested in aging while taking undergraduate courses in gerontology, interning
and doing field work at local senior centers and long-term care facilities. His “major areas of interest in gerontology are in long-term care and social insurance programs for the aged.”
First-Year Doctoral Students
Karel Kalaw, first year doctoral student from the Philippines Karel Kalaw – Karel is from the Philippine Islands and her undergraduate degree in sociology is from the University of the Philippines Los Banos. She also holds a master’s degree in gerontology from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She developed an affinity for older persons and the aging process in her youth, and she is particularly interested in rural aging and migration studies. In the Philippines, Karel was part of a research project that as-
sessed the impact of the government’s programs for farmers and their beneficiaries. Karel’s work on this project made her aware of the urgent importance of addressing older farmers’ needs as well as the needs of their families. Jasleen Chahal – Jasleen, from Kentucky, is a summer 2010 graduate of Miami’s MGS program. She earned a BS in Hispanic studies with a minor in pre-med from the University of Kentucky. Her interest in gerontology is derived from “growing up in an intergenerational household” and both caring for and learning from her grandparents. Jasleen’s areas of special focus in aging include global aging, chronic disease self-management, evaluation research, palliative care, and health and aging in minority populations. Her MGS critical inquiry, titled “A Feasibility Study of the Use of Stanford’s Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP) by the Ohio Hispanic Population,” examined how government health and aging-service organizations could better serve the Hispanic population in Ohio regarding chronic disease prevention and management. Christina Eduafo – Christina is from Ghana and recently graduated with a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Central State University (Wilberforce, Ohio, just east of Xenia). She will begin her MGS studies at Miami in January.
Page 6
Fall 2010
Summer Practicums
Hands-On Experiences Give MGS Students Focus in Second Year Master of Gerontological Studies (MGS) second-year students returned to campus energized and enthusiastic following their summer practicums. All six lived up to practicum coordinator Kathryn McGrew’s billing (“It’s great to hear the agencies raving about the students.”) with polished presentations on their experiences to a MacMillan Hall roomful of fellow gerontology students, faculty and staff.
Megan Imka – Megan mixed business with pleasure in her hometown of Cleveland this summer, serving as a “jack-of-all-trades” at the Jennings Center for Older Adults, a faith-based continuing care retirement center (CCRC). In that role, Megan participated in a variety of experiences both menial and cerebral, serving as everything from dishwasher, cook and driveway painter to residentElizabeth Carpio – Elizabeth, a satisfaction survey designer, clinical former director of Senior Services service worker and activities leader. for the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community in Maricopa Coun“It’s great to hear ty, Ariz., returned to Arizona to work with the Arizona Health-Care Cost the agencies Containment System (AHCCCS), the state Medicaid agency in the Ofraving about fice of the Director of Intergovernour students.” mental Affairs/Tribal Relations. She attended several meetings with American Indian tribal organizations, contributed to a concept paper Kim Linde – Like Megan (above), proposing an independent MedicKim wore many hats during her aid system specifically for Ameripracticum with the Minnesota Board can Indians in Arizona, and learned on Aging, the third oldest state orgaabout the practicalities associated nization on aging in the country. Kim with policy development. also wore many hats (literally) for Rebecca Hart – Rebecca experi- her presentation: a Minnesota Twins enced her practicum at the Alexian ball cap to represent teamwork; a triBrothers Valley Residence, a 42-bed corn explorer’s hat to honor the new facility for those with dementia and/ and adventurous learning opportunior memory impairments in Chatta- ties available at the agency; a yelnooga, Tenn. She focused on engag- low hardhat to connote the various ing residents with art-therapy activi- projects she worked on, including ties, including principles and proto- regional gap analyses based on the cols she had learned at Miami while availability of aging services in Minserving as a graduate assistant with nesota’s 87 counties, and a research the Opening Minds Through Art review of the decision-making pro(OMA) program. She also observed cess of those considering participabudget operations and developed a tion in Minnesota’s nursing-home distaff training manual. version program, Live Well at Home;
and, finally, a Miami University hat to symbolize returning to campus and resuming her studies. Lauren (Jackson) Mindemann – Lauren learned a great deal about hospital administration and a wide variety of related programs and services while leaving a very positive impression at the Robley Rex Veteran Affairs Medical Center in Louisville, Ky. Lauren helped out with the center’s unique bereavement program for veterans grieving the loss of other veterans, conducted a literature review on the broader subject of bereavement, and also assisted with the center’s veterans’ needs assessments and veterans’ hospice volunteer project. Philip Sauer – As Dr. McGrew noted, “you don’t have to go far away to have a fantastic (practicum) experience,” and Phil, working this summer with the Council on Aging of Southwestern Ohio, offered ample proof of that. Helping out with the program operations and communications division, Phil was given independence and encouragement to work on the Butler County senior-service levy campaign as well as the organization’s newsletter, web design, Facebook and other social media communications and public relations efforts. Phil, who has dual citizenship in Germany and Great Britain, said he found the American workplace much more informal (“They even eat at meetings!”) than in Germany while still maintaining a very strong work ethic, readiness to help, and sense of purpose.
Fall 2010
Page 7
J . R. Can Do
Miami Gerontology Student Gets Grant for Hamilton Community Center The down-to-earth, “can-do” demeanor James “J.R.” Muruthi acquired while growing up on a 12-acre farm in Naivasha, Kenya, served the recent Miami graduate in gerontology and interdisciplinary studies (spring 2010) well in his studies. That approach also served the Booker T. Washington Community Center (BTWCC) in nearby Hamilton, where J.R. wrote a grant proposal last spring semester resulting in funding for the purchase of a van to transport the center’s older persons and younger population on field trips and to other destinations as the need arises. The successful grant proposal stemmed from J.R.’s senior capstone project at Miami University. Overseen by Jennifer Kinney, Miami professor of sociology and gerontology, the project placed J.R. at the BTWCC from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from January through April, 2010. There, Regina Phillips, BTWCC’s executive director, gave him the autonomy to help out in any way that he felt would most benefit the center. J.R. didn’t have to look long at BTWCC’s rusty ’84 cargo van (with 450,000 miles on the odometer), or the increasing need of transportation for the center’s clients, to realize what an asset a safe, reliable vehicle would be for the center. “Many of the children needed rides home from the center at night, and it seemed to me that the older persons would enjoy and benefit from external exposure, getting out to take advantage of social and recreational events in the Dayton and Cincinnati areas,” J.R. observes. “The need was quite clear. I ran the idea past Ms.
Phillips, and she was all for it. So, I did the math, did all the research, and wrote a proposal to the Greater Cincinnati Foundation,” he recalls. “It took me about three or four weeks to get everything formalized for submission. I was very pleased when I heard that the grant for the van came through right before my graduation.”
James “J.R.” Muruthi So was the center. “We’re all grateful to James for getting us money for the van,” Phillips says. “He took the initiative and did it all himself. He was a tremendous asset, interacted very well with the kids and the seniors, a dedicated worker who represented Miami in a thoroughly professional manner.” Phillips adds that J. R. also devised and conducted a client survey for BTWCC that helped the center better understand and serve the needs of its older clients.
J.R. says he became interested in gerontology, in part, because of some of the suffering he saw among older people in and around Naivasha, a scenic area, just south of the equator, known for its diverse wildlife and flowers as well as Mount Longonot, a dormant volcano. “Elders in Africa used to be held in very high respect,” he notes, “but, sad to say, that is changing. And I always wondered, ‘What does it feel like to be old?’ I wanted to learn so I can help, and, maybe, with my interest in public policy, change things to make life better for older people.” J.R. is building on that interest this fall as he begins work for his MGS degree at Miami. He chose Miami’s MGS program because of the great experience he had in gerontology as an undergraduate. “I liked all my classes and professors, Jennifer Kinney, Kathryn McGrew, and Lisa Groger’s course on global aging,” he states. “Miami offers an outstanding educational experience, with high-level learning opportunities. … And, it’s where I met my girlfriend, Bertanna Abrams. I would like to mention her, because she’s been so supportive and helpful to me.” That’s a kindness J.R., in turn, would like to bestow upon others after earning his master’s degree. His sights are set on working in aging policy development with the United Nations or other global institutions, such as the Red Cross or World Health Organization. “I would like to return to Kenya some day,” he says, “but I will go wherever the job takes me. Wherever I might do the most good.”
Page 8
Fall 2010
Calendar
Age and Agency Mike Payne Editor
Scripps Gerontology Center Miami University 396 Upham Hall Oxford, OH 45056 Phone: 513-529-2914 Fax: 513-529-1476 scripps@muohio.edu www.scrippsaging.org
Scripps Gerontology Center Miami University Oxford, Ohio 45056 Return Service Requested
dates, meetings, conferences ...
Vol. 20 Fall 2010
Nov. 30, 2010 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. W. Fred “Doc” Cottrell Distinguished Alumni Lecture Shriver Center Multipurpose Rooms A & B Dan O’Connor President of Ohio Presbyterian Service Communities “Leading the Retirement Communities of Tomorrow Through the Turbulent Times of Today” Refreshments will be served after the lecture
Farewell, Abbe Scripps said a sad farewell this September to Abbe Linscott Lackmeyer, who managed our project with n4a the past three and one-half years. Our loss is the gain of the Council on Aging of Southwestern Ohio, where Abbe will be an Evaluation Analyst with the Business Intelligence team. Abbe says she feels blessed to have worked with such talented, caring people, and Scripps returns that compliment to her. All the best, Abbe. Hope to see you at a conference soon.
NONPROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
MIAMI UNIVERSITY