Improving Quality of Care for Older Adults through Education of Health Professionals
 

Events such as 9/11, anthrax mail, and the release of Sarin gas in Tokyo’s subway have without a doubt changed the world. Terrorist acts, tsunamis, outbreaks of SARS and Ebola heighten awareness of vulnerability, a vulnerability excluding no place, no person, no age. Once common only to military life, we all now live under a condition of threat alert. This puts a large segment of our population in jeopardy. Are healthcare providers, facilities and communities prepared to provide for the aged’s biopsychosocial needs in future threats? The University of Texas School of Nursing at Houston, Center on Aging participates in the Bioterrorism and Emergency Preparedness in Aging (BTEPA) project to address these issues and educate health care providers in age-appropriate care for older people exposed to chemical, biological, nuclear and other weapons used by terrorists.

Funded by a grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), BTEPA is directed by Robert E. Roush, EdD, MPH, Director of Texas Consortium of Geriatrics Education Centers (TCGEC) in collaboration with Vaunette Fay, RN, PhD, Associate Professor and Director of the Geriatric Nurse Practitioner Program at The University of Texas School of Nursing at Houston; Scott Lillibridge, MD, Director of the Center for Biosecurity and Public Health Preparedness; George Taffet, MD, Baylor College of Medicine Chief of Geriatrics; Carl Fasser, PA-C, Director for the PA program; Kelley Moseley, DrPH, Texas Woman’s University Graduate Program in Health

Administration; and Polly Turner DrPH, MPH, RPh, Texas Southern University School of Pharmacy. This diverse group developed BTEPA’s curriculum for training health profession students, faculty, and community practitioners in bioterrorism and aging. Eighteen key-opinion leaders, including dentists, advanced practice nurses, physicians, physician assistants, pharmacists and hospital administrators from six strategic geographic areas of Texas joined the project last fall to validate curricula for various specialties and plan curriculum integration into education programs across Texas’ 254 counties.

In BTEPA’s second phase, Dr. Fay and Fran Nelson, PhD, RN, Assistant Professor, Center on Aging, assisted by Jo Westphal and Joyce Randolf, developed a two-hour continuing education seminar for nursing application. At the first seminar, presented to Houston area LTC Directors of Nursing on May 4, 2005 at Clarewood House, participants learned classifications of potential biologic and chemical agents and the diseases they cause, how to identify

the effects of the agents and provide care for those affected, and effects of aging on risks, responses and care needs. Preparations to meet bioterrorism events within their facilities were also discussed. Plans are underway to provide the seminar to other nursing care groups and to incorporate appropriate BTEPA material into health profession programs, including MS in Nursing and Nurse Practitioner and Clinical Nurse Specialist programs. In continued collaboration with TCGEC, the Center on Aging is developing a booklet along with a CD. This courseware provides training in bioterrorism preparedness for nurses and staff caring for the rapidly expanding aging population of Texas.

Another resource for bioterrorism preparedness in the Center on Aging is Ms. Carmen Castro, Staff Ombudsman Long Term Care. She received training on weaponized diseases including anthrax, plague and tularemia, and participated in readiness drills while working in the field of Bioterrorism/Public Health

Preparedness as the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) Coordinator for the Galveston County Health District. Ms. Castro worked closely with Galveston County community partners, including the Office of Emergency Management, local law enforcement and area hospitals, to coordinate planning for the deployment of the stockpile in the event of a large scale public health disaster. The SNS life-saving medical supplies including antibiotics, antitoxins, and other supplies and equipment can be deployed anywhere in the nation within 12 hours when local, county and state assets are inadequate to meet immediate needs of an affected community. Ms. Castro participated in recruiting and training of volunteers to assist with clinic functions during an emergency. These functions include administering vaccinations and dispensing medications to an entire community within a required 48 hour-window of treatment in the event of bioterrorist attack or other health emergency.

~ Dr. Francine Nelson, Center on Aging

Award Winners Announced
 

The Valley Advisory Board will honor two distinguished Houstonians at the 19^th Annual Selenia E. & Joseph C. Valley Conference, to be held September 16, 2005.

Nancy L. Wilson, MA is an Assistant Professor in the Section of Geriatrics, Department of Internal Medicine, at Baylor College of Medicine, where she works at the Huffington Center on Aging. She also is a doctoral student at The University of Texas School of Public Health at Houston. She will be honored as the Gerontological Professional of the Year for her professional and community service responsibilities. Ms Wilson has served as the Chair of the Governing Council, Care for Elders, on the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Community Partnership for Older Adults and is currently the Co-Chair of the Patient Care Committee at the Alzheimer’s Association. Ms. Wilson has had 28 publications in professional journals or as chapters in books, mostly focusing on elder care.

Earl B. Loggins, retired, will be presented with the Community Advocate Award. Mr. Loggins is committed to community-based programs for seniors. He serves on the Metropolitan CME Church’s Board of Trustees which has recently authorized a feasibility study for a senior housing complex in the Sunnyside area through the church Community Development Corporation. He is a long term active member of the Golden Age Ministry and the Health and Wellness Ministry of the church. Mr. Loggins is also a long time Senior Citizen Community Advocate for Precinct 2. Mr. Loggins received his education at the University of Houston and Cornell University, and served as a First Sergeant in the US Army during World War II. Mr. Loggins hosted golf tournaments for four years for the Annual Earl Loggins Invitational Golf Tournament benefiting the American Cancer Society, and was honored by the presence of his friend, former President George Bush in 1994.

The COA Shares Knowledge
 

Award

Wasserman, J. Measuring Health Related Quality of Life for Stroke Survivors. Awarded $7300 by UTSON-H PARTNERS Seed Money Project.

publications

Bergstrom, N. (March/April 2005). The Braden Scale for Predicting Pressure Sore Risk. (Letter to the Editor). Journal of Wound Ostomy and Continence Nursing, 32 (2), 79-80.

Presentations

Fay, V. & Rapp, M. 5/20/05. Acute Care of the Elderly. Presented to the Geriatric Education in Rio Grande Valley project. (20 participants.)

Greene, K. 5/19/05. Managing Residents with Aggressive Behavior. Presented at the Mariner Southwest Nursing Home, Houston, TX. (56 participants).

Fay, V. & Nelson, F. 5/4/2005. What Professionals Need to Know About Bioterrorism: Emergency Preparedness and Aging. Presented to the Director of Nursing (DON) Dialogue Group Meeting, Houston, Texas. (28 participants.)

Fay, V. & Westphal, J. 4/27/05. Recognizing and Responding to Bioterrorism and Other Public Health Emergencies. Presented at the DON Dialogue Group Meeting, Houston, TX.

Tobey, A. 4/26/05. Volunteer Opportunities for Seniors. Presented to the Elder Services Provider Network (ESPN), Houston, TX. (120 participants).

Persson, D. 4/16/05. Options in Long-Term Care. Presented at Foundry United Methodist Church, Houston, TX. (30 participants).

Cora, VL.; Duffy, E.; Fay, V.; Henderson, MJ.; Mirr-Jansen, M.; Kennedy-Malone, L. 4/14/05. Integrating Geriatric Content Across the Curriculum for the non-GNP. Presented at the annual conference of the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties, Chicago, IL.

Greene, K. 4/14/05. Residential Care Homes. Presented at the Veterans Administration, Houston, TX. (41 participants).

Fay, V. 4/7/05. Infusing Geriatrics into an already packed Curriculum. Presented at the online Virtual Conference from Houston, TX.

Westphal, J. 4/7/05. The Impact of the Aging Population on Caregivers. Presented at the Caregiving Conference, Houston Gerontological Society, Houston, TX.

Community Presentations

In the past three months Ombudsman staff and volunteers gave 28 presentations in nursing homes about Family Councils, with 267 in attendance.

Director's Corner
 

The Center on Aging faculty and staff are blessed with diversity in our mission, skills, opportunities and experiences. This diversity permits us to participate in timely community directed initiatives such as bioterrorism preparedness and forward thinking planning such as will be initiated at the Valley Conference on September 16, 2005.

Dr. Fran Nelson (Commander, USN, retired) has joined others, including Dr. Vaunie Fay, in preparing a program “Bioterrorism and Emergency Preparedness in Aging.”

The lead article talks about the collaborative team and a presentation for Directors of Nursing in Long-Term Care facilities in Houston and about other learning materials prepared to carry on this work. Ms. Carmen Castro, as staff Ombudsman, has also had training in this key area.

Do you know the definition of “Elder Friendly?” The Valley Conference will direct the attention of key leaders in Houston to the aging of baby boomers and the preparation that is needed to make the city elder friendly. An exciting and diverse program will challenge us to assess our city and plan for a better future characterized by access, fulfillment and continuing contributions. Join us as we engage in planning for the “Elder Friendly” Houston.

Our Ombudsman Program continues to increase the visibility of the COA and the School of Nursing at UT-Houston by delivering informative presentations on aging topics throughout the community. We have made more than 128 community presentations in Houston this year to date….BRAVO!

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Houston, TX 77030
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