Greetings!

Welcome to the Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing's February 2010 eNewsletter featuring articles, reference materials, useful links, calendar of events and other best practice information on the care of older adults.

This eNewsletter is sponsored by ConsultGeriRN.org.

ConsultGeriRN.org is the authoritative geriatric clinical nursing website of the Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing, New York University College of Nursing and the NICHE (Nurses Improving Care for Healthsystem Elders) program, www.NICHEProgram.org. ConsultGeriRN.org contains evidence-based protocols and topics for nurses and other healthcare professionals on the care of older adults. Content is updated regularly.

We would like to hear from you!

The Hartford Institute keeps in its thoughts all those who have been affected by the Earthquake in Haiti.

It is also easy to forget that in addition to children, one of most vulnerable populations affected by natural disasters are the older adults. AARP in partnership with Helpage USA has recently established a disaster relief fund to specifically address the needs of the older community affected by the earthquake.
More Info.

In response to the devastating earthquake in Haiti, physicians, nurses, and staff at NYU Langone Medical Center came together to form the Haitian Effort and Relief Team (NYULMC HEART). The first group of HEART volunteers arrived in Haiti on Friday, January 22, 2010, to provide surgical services at General Hospital in Port-au-Prince. To follow the group and read about their experiecnes, view their blog at:
www.heart.med.nyu.edu

The majority of older adults will experience some changes in their sensory capacity (vision, hearing, smell, taste and peripheral sensation) as a normal part of aging. Some sensory changes, for example changes in hearing, can severely impact an older person's communication skills. Did you know that 30% of those over age 65 have some level of visual impairment, with cataracts being the 5th most common chronic condition in adults over age 75? And hearing loss is the 3rd leading chronic condition affecting adults over 75 years of age.

Learn more about "Sensory Changes and Older Adults" including references and assessment tools by visiting ConsultGeriRN.org.

Care of older adults is, and will continue to be, the "core business" of healthcare institutions. These podcasts have been developed by Melissa Aselage in collaboration between UNCW School of Nursing, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), the Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing, and New York University College of Nursing. The Podcasts were prepared for students and are based on Geriatric Nursing Education Consortium (GNEC) modules developed for baccalaureate nursing faculty in an effort to prepare nurses to meet the complex and challenging needs of this population. The GNEC modules are based on the AACN's Older Adults: Recommended Baccalaureate Competencies and Curricular Guidelines for Geriatric Nursing Care.

The Hartford Institute is hosting these videos on ConsultGeriRN.org.

The Hartford Institute hosted a symposium, Nurses Involvement in Nursing Home Culture Change: Overcoming the Nursing Dilemma, at the Gerontological Society of America Conference in November, 2009. To view the presentations, which were based on the Issue Paper: Nurses Involvement in Nursing Home Culture Change, visit: HartfordIGN.org/policy/position_papers_briefs/

The Consortium of New York Geriatric Education Centers (CNYGEC) provides geriatric interdisciplinary training to health care providers. It provides opportunities to enhance the skills and knowledge of your staff so that they can provide the best care possible to your older adult residents.

The CNYGEC is a collaboration of Mount Sinai School of Medicine Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, The New York University College of Nursing, The Hunter College Brookdale Center for Healthy Aging and Longevity, Columbia University Stroud Center for Quality of Life in Health and Aging and the Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology.

There are several one-day learning opportunities available as well as a 5-day/40-hour Metro NYC Geriatric Scholars Certificate program.

Here are some sample programs that we thought would be useful to you and your staff:

• February 26, 2010 Oral Health: Forgotten care for older adults
• March 26, 2010 Geriatric Assessment: Try This and How to Try This series
• May 5, 2010 Update on End-of-Life and Palliative Care
• May 29, 2010 Elder Abuse: See it,Stop it, Prevent it
• Several core days for fundamentals in geriatrics

To find out more about these and other programs, about the Metro NYC Geriatric Scholar Certificate, and to REGISTER, go to www.NYGEC.ORG.

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