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Ripples

Welcome to Ripples, an e-newsletter designed to keep interested deans and directors, faculty members, students, practitioners and others informed about the work of the Geriatric Social Work Initiative (GSWI).  We welcome your feedback and encourage you to contribute any story ideas, stories, resources, news and other content to subsequent issues of the newsletter. To make a contribution, please contact Ashley Groth at agroth@geron.org.  If you have been forwarded this newsletter by a colleague and would like to subscribe, please reply to this e-mail and type the work “subscribe” in the subject line. Please be sure to visit our website at www.gswi.org.

Special Summer Edition

Funding Opportunities

NIH: Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards for Individual Predoctoral Fellowships (F31) to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research

The NIH seeks to improve diversity of the health-related research workforce and ensure that highly trained scientists will be available in appropriate research areas.  These funds will support the training of Pre-Doctoral students that are predominantly underrepresented.  The number of awards and total amount granted depend upon application merit, relevance to program priorities and availability of funds.  Applicants must be enrolled in a PhD or equivalent research degree program or have been accepted into a graduate program.  Expiration Date: November 16, 2009.

For more information, see: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-06-481.html

Administration on Aging

The Administration on Aging announced a $15 million grant opportunity on prevention of disease and disability among older adults.  Up to 12 states are eligible for $300,000 each year for a total of three years.  Programs are to be delivered at local levels through aging services provider organizations, such as senior centers, nutrition centers, and faith-based organizations, in coordination with area agencies on aging and other partners.
Click Here for more information.

NIH/NIA: Human Biospecimen Resources for Aging Research (R03)

NIA is seeking applications for limited funding up to two years that propose research to integrate biomarker analysis with the study of normal aging, age-associated diseases, and behavioral and social data.  The NIH Small Research Grant (R03) award mechanism will be used to fund this grant.  The R03 seeks to promote pilot studies using existing biospecimen collections, which may lead to new research.  It is intended to support small research projects that can be done with limited resources and in a reasonably short amount of time.  The R03 is not a renewable grant.  The total amount awarded and number of awards will depend on the quality, duration and costs of applications received.  Budgets for direct costs of up to $50,000 per year and a project duration of up to two years may be requested for a maximum of $100,000 direct costs over a two-year project period.  Opening Date: September 1, 2006. (Earliest date an application may be submitted to Grants.gov)

For more information, visit: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-06-443.html

NIH/NIA: Longitudinal Surveys of the Elderly: STTR Initiative (R41/R42)

Complex and large-scale socio-behavioral surveys related to adult health and aging are being developed all over the world, and there is an increasing demand for new, innovative technologies.  The purpose of this grant is to produce and/or archive improved user-friendly public use data files from existing large-scale population-based data collection and behavioral intervention efforts to facilitate secondary data analysis.  Awards issued under this funding opportunity are contingent upon the availability of funds and the submission of a sufficient number of meritorious applications.  Opening Date:  July 1, 2006 (Earliest date an application may be submitted to Grants.gov)

For more information, visit: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-06-464.html

National Institutes of Health: Behavioral and Social Research on Disasters and Health (R21)

The purpose of this funding opportunity is to stimulate research in the behavioral and social sciences on the consequences of natural and man-made disasters for the health of children, the elderly and vulnerable groups, with an ultimate goal of preventing or mitigating harmful consequences.  Three NIH Institutes are sponsoring this announcement: the National Institute on Aging, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the National Institute of Nursing Research.  The NIA is interested in research on the elderly in disasters, especially elderly residents of institutions and frail elderly in the community.  The total amount awarded and number of awards will depend on the quality, duration and costs of applications received.  The total project period for an application submitted in response to this funding opportunity may not exceed two years. Direct costs are limited to $275,000 over an R21 two-year period, with no more than $200,000 in direct costs allowed in any single year.  Opening Date:  August 1, 2006 (Earliest date an application may be submitted to Grants.gov) 

Click Here for more information.

Research & News

Daughters Most Often Chosen as Preferred Caregiver for Elderly

A study conducted by Karl Pillemer, professor of human development at Cornell, and Purdue University sociologist Jill Suitor explores factors influencing who elderly persons prefer to serve as primary caregiver in their lives.  A representative sample of 566 mothers in the Boston area was used for the study that included in-person interviews.  The study will be published in the August issue of The Gerontologist.  To view the article, Click Here .

Wall Street Journal Includes Social Work Among Top Careers

Social work and related fields are among the careers in the Wall Street Journal’s “Best Careers” list.  An interview with Marilyn Reinish, manager of social work at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, IL, highlights the life and occupation of a social worker.  Reinish notes that being able to put pieces together and solve problems is gratifying and fulfilling.  Financially, a social work career may not be exemplary, but according to Reinish, the personal gains far outweigh the financial.

For the full article, Click Here .

New Review on Prescription Drug Coverage Policies and Practices

The Alliance for Health Reform and the Commonwealth Fund met in June to review drug coverage policies on both a national and international level.  The purpose of the briefing was to continue the search for best practices.

To find out more, Click Here .

Helping Medicare Savings Programs Get Savings to Seniors

How can you reach the senior population with Medicare savings programs?  The Alliance for Health Reform and the Commonwealth Fund address this issue by exploring ways to increase the enrollment of seniors in Medicare savings programs. 

To find out more, Click Here .

US Senate Special Committee on Aging Testimony on Managing Retirement Assets

The US Senate Special Committee on Aging discusses ways to ensure seniors do not outlive their savings.  To view statements or access the webcast, please see: http://aging.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?Fuseaction=Hearings.Detail&HearingID=180

Oral Hydration in Older Adults: Greater awareness is needed in preventing, recognizing, and treating dehydration 

An article published in the June 2006 issue of the American Journal of Nursing emphasizes the importance of hydration for older adults, especially during the hot summer months.  To access full article, please see: http://www.nursingcenter.com/library/JournalArticle.asp?Article_ID=645963

Resources

Fast-Track Your Palliative Care Program: Palliative Care Leadership Center (PCLC) Training

Benefit from two days of on-site, hands-on training and a full year of follow-up mentoring by training at one of six Palliative Care Leadership CentersSM (PCLC). You and your team will learn from the experience of established palliative care programs how to finance, design, market and operate a successful program.

Interdisciplinary team approach - targeted to physicians, nurses, social workers, administrators and other healthcare professionals interested in starting palliative care programs.

Register now for Fall 2006 Trainings at www.capc.org/pclc .  Sessions fill months in advance.  Space is available on a first-come, first-served basis only.

Reimagining America: AARP's Blueprint for the Future

AARP explores the increasing elderly population. The article recognizes trends while addressing how America must face the challenges posed by longer life-expectancy. 

For more information, visit: http://www.aarp.org/issues/reimagining_america.html and click on “Read this important document” for the full text.

Handbook of the Life Course
Editors: Jeylan T. Mortimer and Michael J. Shanahan

The Handbook includes many theoretical and methodological approaches to address the study of lives across age phases.  For more information and to order the book, please see: http://www.springer.com/west/home?SGWID=4-102-22-144473162-0

June issue of The NIH News in Health

Read about the latest news and tips based on NIH research. Pain management and recognizing the signs of a stroke are two of the topics in the June issue.
Link: http://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2006/June/index.htm

NIH, University of Michigan Renew Major Survey on Older Adults’ Health, Retirement (June 19, 2006)

The Health and Retirement Study, which began in 1992, will continue as the National Institute on Aging (a component of NIH). NIH and the University of Michigan have renewed the collaborative study.  The study surveys over 22,000 Americans over the age of 50 every two years and explores the health and economic conditions of those over 50.  The goal of the study is to help address scientific and policy challenges posed by the increasing aging population in the United States. 

For more information, please see: http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/jun2006/nia-19.htm

The Silver Book: Chronic Disease and Medical Innovation in an Aging Nation

The Alliance for Aging Research recently launched this searchable database, which is regularly updated and expanded.  It is an almanac of facts, statistics, graphs and information from nearly 100 agencies, organization and experts.
For more information and to download a PDF version, see: http://www.silverbook.org/

Announcements

Gero-Ed Forum’s Call for Showcase Presentation Proposals is now Open

With a new purpose and format, the 2007 Gero-Ed Forum, to be held in Charleston, SC from February 2-4, 2007, will be smaller, more condensed and less costly to attend than past meetings. With the theme “Infusing Gerontology Across the Classroom & Field: Planning, Implementing and Resourcing,” the Forum will focus solely on providing all faculty with the opportunity and resources to join the national movement to “gerontologize” social work education. While a general call for papers/abstracts will not be issued, a Call for Presentation Proposals for the Showcase is now online at www.Gero-EdCenter.org and solicits hands-on, interactive presentations related to gero infusion initiatives. Please visit our Web site at www.Gero-EdCenter.org to read more about this new format and continue to check our site for more details about the new Gero-Ed Track at the 2007 CSWE APM in San Francisco.

Congratulations to Cohort V Faculty Scholar, Debra Parker Oliver

Dr. Debra Parker Oliver has been promoted to Associate Professor with Tenure at the University of Missouri School of Social Work.

Congratulations to Lubben and Clark

James Lubben and Elizabeth Clark were awarded honorary degrees (Doctor of Humane Letters) at the Wartburg College commencement.  The college, located in Iowa, recently celebrated 60 years of undergraduate social work education.   

Congratulations to Cohort I Faculty Scholar, Denise Burnette

Dr. Burnette, Professor of Social Work at Columbia University School of Social Work, has been awarded a Fulbright Scholar grant to lecture in India during the 2006-2007 academic year.  She will be based at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) in Mumbai (Bombay) and will co-locate at several other Indian universities that offer or are developing social work programs. She will teach in the areas of health, aging, and populations-at-risk and will engage in faculty development and curriculum planning, implementation and evaluation.

Congratulations to June Simmons: Purpose Prize Finalist

“The Purpose Prize challenges prevailing perceptions by investing significantly in carefully screened social innovators over the age of 60. Each year, [Civic Ventures] will award $100,000 prizes to five individuals who have demonstrated uncommon vision, determination and entrepreneurialism in addressing community and national problems.” (Civic Ventures website)
http://www.leadwithexperience.org/prize/finalists/simmons.cfm

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