By Geralyn Magan
Researchers will share their work at the prestigious Annual Scientific Meeting of the Gerontological Society of America (GSA) in November.
Researchers in the Washington, DC office of the LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston will present five posters and one symposium paper at the upcoming Annual Scientific Meeting of the Gerontological Society of America (GSA). The meeting, which highlights cutting-edge scholarship, research, and networking in the fields of aging and gerontology, will take place from November 12 to 15 in Boston.
Posters and papers presented during the GSA scientific meeting are selected through a peer-review process. Abstracts submitted by researchers are rated on scientific merit by reviewers assigned to specific technical sessions.
Washington, DC-based researchers representing the LTSS Center at GSA include:
- Robyn I. Stone, LTSS Center Co-Director.
- Verena Cimarolli, Vice President, Applied Research and Partnerships.
- Natasha Bryant, Senior Director of Workforce Research & Development.
- Molly Carpenter, Director of Workforce Strategy and Development.
- Molly J. Wylie, Research Associate.
Poster Sessions
The five poster sessions include:
Evaluating a Program Addressing the Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) and Home Health Aide (HHA) Workforce Shortage
Brittany M. McFeeley (University of Massachusetts Boston), Natasha Bryant, Verena Cimarolli, and Robyn I. Stone
This poster will describe the evaluation of The Gateway-In Project©, which LeadingAge California established to expand the CNA and HHA workforce. The project recruits students and provides free training, support, and job placement assistance for new CNAs and HHAs. Researchers assessed the program’s impact by surveying graduates. Read more about this research.
Factors Predicting Gaps in Access to Health-Promoting Resources Among Rural Older Adults
Molly J. Wylie, Verena Cimarolli, Robyn I. Stone, Regan McManus (Lutheran Services in America), and Ashley Washington (Lutheran Services in America)
This poster will describe research aimed at identifying sociodemographic predictors of gaps that rural older adults experience when attempting to access essential resources, including transportation, social support, food security, healthcare, and safe housing. Read more about this research.
Affordable Senior Housing in Rural Massachusetts: Gaps and Solutions to Improve Services and Supports for Residents
Natasha Bryant, Steve Kalter (Acumen Marketing Research), Robyn Stone, and Peter Atkins (Fallon Health)
This poster will report on researchers’ assessment of efforts to improve supportive services in affordable senior housing in a rural part of Massachusetts. The team conducted resident surveys and focus groups with property managers and resident service coordinators at 11 affordable housing properties to identify existing services and critical gaps and recommend strategies to better equip housing providers as they work to support residents’ evolving needs. Read more about this project.
Evaluation of a Wellness Program for Affordable Senior Housing Residents
Verena Cimarolli, Alisha Sanders (independent consultant), Molly J. Wylie, and Robyn Stone
This poster will describe the research team’s work evaluating Volunteers of America National Services’ Aging with Options program, which was funded by and developed in partnership with Parker Health Group. The intervention, piloted at one housing site, provided a wellness nurse, a community health worker, and an existing service coordinator who helped engage residents in healthy behaviors and connect them with resources. The evaluation assessed participants’ perceptions of the program’s impact and its effect on health outcomes.Read more about this research.
Caregiver Burden and Caregiving Benefits in Long-Distance Family Caregivers
Verena Cimarolli, Francesca Falzarano (University of Southern California), and Kathrin Boerner (University of Oldenburg, Germany)
This poster will present research on how caregiving affects the well-being of long-distance family caregivers living more than one hour away from their care recipient. The cross-sectional study identified socio-demographic characteristics, primary stressors, and internal resources associated with both caregiving burden and positive aspects of caregiving among long-distance caregivers. Read more about this research.
The Symposium
Pilot Collaborations to Empower Nursing Home Residents and Staff
Robyn Stone and Molly Carpenter
During this symposium, the Moving Forward Nursing Home Quality Coalition will highlight three initiatives designed to translate recommendations from a landmark 2022 report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine into actionable strategies for quality improvement in nursing homes and long-term care policy.
LTSS Center team members Robyn Stone and Molly Carpenter will describe how the federally funded Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP) is developing shared standards for apprenticeship programs for certified nursing assistants. The apprenticeships are designed to strengthen the direct care workforce and improve job quality. Read more about this project.