SON: Connections - Spring 2002

Headlines | Briefly | From the Deans Desk | Alumni News
From the Deans Desk

Nancy Fugate Woods
Ph.D, R.N., F.A.A.N.
Dean and Professor

The generation that brought us the turbulence and social ferment of the 60's is now facing the 60's again. Older in years but not in spirit, the "baby boomer" generation that brought fathers into the delivery room and made menopause a household word now promises to revolutionize aging as well.

At an age when most of their parents were leading quiet, sedentary lives as "retirees," today's older adult population is often still working, if not starting new businesses. They are connected to the world of information by computer and TV in ways unimaginable twenty years ago. They are joggers and walkers who try to fit regular exercise into their daily lives. They are the informed consumers who came of age on organic foods and always read the labels on food packaging.

In nursing, new paradigms of care are mirroring these changes in our society. Instead of focusing solely on disease management, nurses in all settings are making suggestions for how to promote good health, especially in patients with acute or chronic illness. Adult patients are taking on more personal responsibility for self-care and healthy behaviors. At the same time, we are facing the need to provide care for the frail elderly and those who do need nursing home care, particularly elders with severe disability and dementia.

In the School of Nursing, the de Tornyay Center represents a strong focus on healthy aging. The emphasis of the Center's efforts include preparing more of our undergraduate and graduate students to work with elders by providing support for their senior or graduate student projects. Another effort is to strengthen our faculty's capacity to integrate information about aging into our teaching. Yet another effort is to bring external speakers and consultants to campus.

The Aljoya Professorship provides another important source of support to students and faculty alike. Dr. Margaret Dimond has led efforts to obtain support from the Hartford Foundation that will fund refinement of the gerontology emphasis in our undergraduate and graduate curriculum, fund scholarships for graduate students, and engage faculty in teaching about elder care.

Taken together, these efforts have touched each level of our academic programs during this past year with renewed enthusiasm evident among our students and faculty. Next on the agenda is enriching the research focused on healthy aging and care for frail elders and those needing long term care.

Headlines | Briefly | From the Deans Desk | Alumni News