I have met Beatrice. In fact, I have met a hundred Beatrices, because prior to joining the Hartford Foundation I worked directly with older adults as a geriatric social worker. Therefore, I can say with confidence that the story of 86-year-old Beatrice described throughout the 2009 Hartford Annual Report is…
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My parents are in their nineties, and between them they’re coping with 17 chronic diseases. It’s a difficult situation, especially because they live so far away, in California. Of course, I do whatever I can to help them, but with 3,000 miles between us, my options are limited. Fortunately, my…
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In last week’s blog, we introduced you to our 2009 Annual Report, which celebrates the leaders who have integrated geriatric social work principles throughout social work education. Yet to create change within schools of social work, it is not enough sponsor programs for faculty and students. “To be successful in…
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Putting the patient on the health care team is one of the core principles for which the Foundation has advocated for many years. During our Geriatric Interdisciplinary Team Training initiative, when we tried to team up nurses, social workers, and physicians (the minimum geriatric team), we often raised the ante…
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In our 2009 Annual Report, we focus on a traditionally under-recognized field: social work. Social workers’ unique training, which naturally includes care coordination and treatment of individuals in the context of their families and communities, is particularly well-suited to helping older adults live richer, healthier lives. Despite this, geriatric social…
Read full postAnother highlight of this month's American Geriatrics Society meeting was the public policy address given by Assistant Secretary for Aging (HHS) Kathy Greenlee, who heads the Administration on Aging (AoA), a partner with the Foundation on several projects. As this video clip shows, Secretary Greenlee discussed the need for a…
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While attending the American Geriatrics Society scientific meeting this past weekend, I had a glimpse of the future: Medical students participating in the MSTAR (Medical Student Training in Aging Research) program were in full force at the conference, showcasing their potential for leading the way in improving the health of…
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The 2010 meeting of the American Geriatrics Society (where I spent my weekend and much of last week) celebrated a number of transitions in the field of elder care. First and foremost, we are very pleased to join the aging and health community in welcoming Jennie Chin Hansen, RN, MSN…
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Many older adults living in apartment communities or housing cooperatives enjoy a high degree of self-reliance, low cost of living, and enhanced quality of life. Even those who cope with multiple chronic conditions often find reassurance in having a reliable network of other resident members to depend upon for help…
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This month some of the best thinkers in geriatrics (most of whom Hartford is privileged to support as grantees) have an important paper in Health Affairs on the preparation of the physician workforce for care of older adults with chronic conditions. They start by drawing out the service need implications…
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