2026 Agenda

Geriatric syndromes are multifactorial health conditions prevalent in older adults that do not fit into discrete disease categories but significantly impact functional independence, quality of life, and mortality. Common examples include frailty, falls, cognitive impairment, incontinence, depression, and polypharmacy. These syndromes often result from complex interactions among chronic diseases, aging physiology, lifestyle behaviors, and social determinants of health. Clinicians are uniquely positioned to address these challenges with proactive, holistic lifestyle-based interventions. Drawing from the six pillars of lifestyle medicine/nutrition, physical activity, stress management, sleep, social connection, and avoidance of risky substances, alongside age-friendly care utilizing the 5Ms, this presentation outlines practical strategies to optimize function, prevent decline, and support aging in place. Through a review of current evidence, clinical tools, and real-world case examples, participants will be empowered to implement lifestyle strategies tailored to older adults in diverse care settings.

Presentation Objectives:

• Define geriatric syndromes and describe their clinical significance in older adults
• List evidence-based lifestyle interventions for the prevention and management of frailty, falls, cognitive decline, incontinence, depression, and polypharmacy
• Recognize practical strategies for interprofessional collaboration and patient engagement in geriatric lifestyle modification.

CEU Eligible

This training is approved for 1 CE clock hours for counselors, social workers, and marriage and family therapists in the state of Ohio.  

A Corpus Analysis of Evolving Referents to the Older Adult Population

Exploring the role of language and aging is a powerful way to observe perceptions and attitudes toward aging and the older adult population. This session examines the natural language patterns of common terms used to refer to older adults, highlighting how everyday word choices reflect and reinforce social attitudes. By leveraging analytical methods commonly used in linguistics and related disciplines, the presenters will demonstrate how interdisciplinary work can support scholarship in the field of gerontology. This work examines token frequency across three different corpora: 1) the Corpus of Historical American English, 2) the Corpus of Contemporary American English, and 3) the News on the Web corpus. In combination, these corpora span 20 countries, 200 years, and over 25 billion words from across multiple media formats: spoken word, fiction, popular magazines, newspapers, academic texts, TV and movies subtitles, blogs, and other web pages. For this analysis, the researchers chose to examine four plural referents to older adults: "the elderly”, "senior citizens”, "old people”, and of course, "older adults”. This analysis demonstrates which of these terms are more persistent than others, and the emergence of the term "older adults”. This allows the researchers to evaluate the relative successes of anti-ageist, intentional language change. The presentation will include discussion on the concept of linguistic reappropriation to consider how reclaiming or reframing certain terms can support more empowering narratives of aging.

Presentation Objectives:

• Discuss the natural language use patterns of terms that refer to the older adult population
• Define language change and linguistic reappropriation as it applies to reframing aging
• Explore corpora research as a method of analysis and how borrowing techniques from other disciplines can be applied to field of aging

The Legacy Project: Connecting Generations Through Stories, Strengthening Gerontology Education

The Legacy Project, Inc. (TLP) is a national nonprofit that pairs college students with older adults for an interview process focused on documenting life stories. Students meet weekly with the same resident, gather their narratives through guided and conversational interviews, and create a written chapter that is later published in a collective book. Originating as a student-driven effort and now active across more than twenty-five campuses, TLP seeks to strengthen intergenerational understanding while addressing the widespread issue of social isolation among both older and younger adults. National reports estimate that roughly one in four adults aged sixty-five and older experiences social isolation. TLP's model offers a practical, relationship-centered approach, providing students with a structured way to engage with aging, memory, and identity in long-term care settings. At Kent State University, TLP is offered as an alternative to the traditional final project in Long-Term Care Administration I. Students partner with residents at Maplewood Senior Living, contribute to the creation of a published life-story book, and participate in a community celebration of the completed work. This session will outline the program's structure, demonstrate how students can join or establish a chapter at their own institution, and highlight the dual benefits for emerging professionals and the older adults who share their stories (The Legacy Project, Inc., n.d.; Maplewood Senior Living, 2025; O'Dowd & Locke, 2025; Ventresca & Johnson, 2025; Looking Forward Our Way, 2025).

Presentation Objectives:

• Describe how TLP may strengthen intergenerational understanding by addressing social isolation for older adults
• Explain how students can start their own chapter, highlighting benefits for both students (emerging professionals) and older adults

The Light We Leave Behind: Storytelling, Identity, and Empowerment in Later Life

Aging is often discussed in terms of decline and loss, often overlooking how older adults create meaning and purpose in later life. To address this gap, the researchers examined storytelling as a process of empowerment through which older adults make sense of their experiences, sustain identity, and challenge ageist stereotypes. Although existing literature in narrative and positive gerontology emphasizes the role of storytelling in supporting well-being, few studies have explored how it functions as an expression of agency that strengthens intergenerational connection. Guided by narrative gerontology and continuity theory, this qualitative study engaged twenty older adults aged 60 to 92 in semi-structured, in-depth interviews that explored major life milestones, relationships, creativity, and evolving self-perceptions. Findings from the thematic analysis revealed four major patterns: continuity of self, creative resilience, relational legacy and narrative agency. Participants described storytelling as a healing and empowering act that transformed memories into meaning and reaffirmed their sense of worth. The results revealed that aging is not a passive experience but an active process of authorship and growth. Storytelling enables older adults to redefine aging, counter stereotypes, and demonstrate the creativity, resilience, and humanity that continue to shape later life. Recognizing storytelling as a tool for empowerment can guide practices that promote dignity, connection, and emotional well-being among older adults.

Presentation Objectives:

• Analyze how sociological and narrative perspectives enhances understanding of identity, meaning-making, and empowerment in later life
• Evaluate the role of storytelling as a theoretical and methodological approach within social gerontology for promoting positive aging and countering ageism
• Identify implications of narrative-based insights for advancing research, policy, and community practices that enhance dignity, connection, and well-being among older adults

As the number of people living with dementia increase, so does the demand for resources and support that meet the needs of family and friend caregivers. Several evidence-based support programs have been proven beneficial for caregivers and are being offered by healthcare and community organizations as a regular service. For organizations interested in implementing a program, it can be a challenge to find and learn about available evidence-based programs. Even for organizations that already offer a program, many caregivers are unaware these programs exist, leaving many programs underutilized. To fill this gap, Best Programs for Caregiving (BPC) was designed as a free, online resource for professionals and caregivers to find and compare approximately 45 evidence-based dementia caregiving support programs delivered by more than 300 healthcare and community organizations across the U.S. This session will provide an overview of caregiving programs and organizations featured on the website, including a live demonstration of how to navigate BPC. Individual symposia will highlight invaluable data and information gathered from BPC such as characteristics of organizations that offer one or more BPC programs; how programs were developed and/or culturally adapted to meet the needs of diverse racial, ethnic, and LGBTQ+ identified communities; the experiences of caregivers that have used BPC; and how caregiving programs impact people living with dementia. Discussion will focus on how BPC can be used as a free resource to support organizations and caregivers in the process of finding, learning about, and enrolling in an evidence-based dementia caregiving support program.

Presentation Objectives:

• Describe how to navigate Best Programs for Caregiving to find organizations offering an evidence-based dementia caregiving support program
• Describe the characteristics of the organizations that offer one or more evidence-based caregiving support programs
• Discuss the benefits of caregiver support programs on people living with dementia

CEU Eligible

This training is approved for 1 CE clock hours for counselors, social workers, and marriage and family therapists in the state of Ohio.  

Emotional Health in Older Adults Receiving Radiation Therapy: A Descriptive Analysis

Older adults make up most new cancer cases and cancer survivors. Radiation therapy is often lifesaving, yet frequently yields negative psychological symptoms, which are greatly understudied among older patients. This cross-sectional study analyzed psychological symptoms, including anxiety, depressive symptoms, sleep, and quality of life among patients enrolled in the Total Cancer Care patient registry at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center. This secondary analysis focused on patients >65 years of age and who completed PROMIS symptom inventories on psychological symptoms like anxiety and depression, comparing those who received radiation therapy with those who did not. Descriptive statistics and adjusted generalized linear models were used to analyze the data. Participants (n=603) had a median age of 71, 50.7% were women, and 96.4% were non-Hispanic White. Twenty-five percent had breast cancer, followed by 16.3% male reproductive cancers. There was a significant difference in adjusted anxiety mean scores between the radiation (52.8, SD=2.9) and non-radiation groups (54.4, SD=2.8, p=0.048). However, there were no significant differences by receipt of radiation for depressive symptoms, sleep, and physical and mental quality of life. Compared to the referent PROMIS t-scores (mean=50), older patients had slightly better anxiety, depressive symptoms, sleep, and slightly lower physical and mental quality of life. These findings indicate that older adults who received radiation therapy may not be at heightened risk of negative psychological impacts. Future research could help identify vulnerable subpopulations and address unmet symptom needs in older adults with cancer.

Presentation Objectives:

• Discuss radiation therapy as a modality of cancer treatment
• Address the psychological symptoms older adults face while going through this modality of treatment

The Role of Attachment and Emotion Regulation Choice on Well-Being Outcomes in Adulthood and Old Age

Age differences in emotion regulation preferences have been observed across a number of studies, demonstrating that older adults choose strategies that could be considered passive or avoidant in nature in order to maintain or increase well-being. Attachment style could be an individual difference that influences the trajectory of emotion regulation across the lifespan. Specifically, there is some evidence to suggest older adults shift to a more avoidant attachment style. In the present study, 118 older adults (Mage = 68.08, SD = 4.82) and 119 young adults (Mage = 19.39, SD = 2.11) were asked to solve interpersonal conflict vignettes by choosing pre-validated solutions that reflect emotion regulation strategies: strategies that were more problem focused versus more passive/avoidant. Participants were also asked to explain justifications for each preferred strategy. A moderated mediation analysis was conducted to test whether attachment orientation influenced the association between age and emotion regulation strategy choice preferences as well as the subsequent mediating role of emotion regulation on the relationship between age and subjective well-being (SWB). Results revealed that while bivariate relationships between the main study variables were in the predicted direction, strategy preferences did not mediate the relationship between age and SWB across levels of avoidant attachment style. Interestingly, while it was anticipated that older adults would prefer to deploy passive/avoidant strategies more frequently than problem-focused, older adults preferred problem-focused strategies to a greater extent. The findings will be discussed in terms of better understanding of how contextual factors contribute to the paradox of well-being in older adulthood.

Presentation Objectives:

• Explore the contextual nuance surrounding emotion regulation in older adulthood.
• Compare and contrast this research study to the plethora of other work surrounding emotion regulation in older adulthood, as it does not completely support previous literature

Understanding the Relationship Between Cognitive Aging, Musicianship, and Language Abilities

There is growing interest in the cognitive effects of musicianship as people age. As we age, there is a balance of cognitive gains and losses. Musicianship may, in contrast, impact these abilities For example, when compared to younger adults, older adults tend to be at a greater disadvantage for processing words in the presence of background noise (Sommers, 1996); however, musicianship may reduce these effects in older adults (e.g., Parbery-Clark et al., 2009). In this presentation, the speaker will discuss current research examining relationships between cognitive aging and musicianship. Specifically, she will discuss how language abilities may be impacted by both age and musicianship. Topics of discussion will also include age-related differences in language processing, how musicianship may impact language processing, and how musicianship may interact with age-related differences in language processing. Furthermore, she will examine the OPERA hypothesis (Patel, 2011; 2014) and the MAPLE framework (Nayak et al., 2022), neurological and behavioral hypotheses surrounding these impacts. Finally, research currently being conducted in the laboratory and possible future directions for this exciting field of research will be discussed. The possible connections between musicianship and cognitive aging provide both practical and theoretical contributions that can be used to empower generations of older adults.

Presentation Objectives:

• Describe the ways the musicianship may impact cognitive aging in relation to language abilities
• Present the theoretical frameworks underlying the possible age-related cognitive differences between musicians and nonmusicians
• Explore potential practical and theoretical contributions that could be used to empower future generations of older adults

The BRIDGE2Health (B2H) team will share their experiences developing an iterative cycle of creating, evaluating, communicating, and standardizing an intergenerational mentor program using a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach. Three papers will represent distinct phases of the B2H program. First, they describe CBPR methods of involving community partners at every step of the research process. The researchers communicated constantly across two states, engaging Extension staff, community partners, and older and younger participants to shape programming with planning and evaluation data. The first paper emphasizes collaborative efforts to gather, interpret, and share programming results. The second paper highlights quantitative and qualitative results across multiple participant cohorts. Measures emphasize life skills and social support outcomes for teen and adult participants. For example, paired samples T-Tests indicated significant differences between pre- and post-measures in three domains of functional support: appraisal (p < .001), tangible (p < .001), and belonging (p < .001) for adults in both states. Qualitative data from annual focus group interviews contextualize quantitative findings by age group, state, and cohort. The third paper describes the use of CBPR strategies to develop and pilot a standardized intergenerational mentoring curriculum guided by theory and the 4-H Thriving Model. Through an iterative process involving participant input, informal and formal staff reflection, and peer review, the curriculum includes background information, resources, and directions to implement an ice breaker, main activity, and reflection across 10 sessions. This symposium illustrates the power of long-term partnerships that utilize intergenerational strategies to respond to community opportunity and need.

Presentation Objectives:

• Describe the purpose of using a community-based participatory approach to apply intergenerational strategies to a community opportunity or need, including specific strategies for partnering with community members to build, evaluate, and communicate about programming
• Illustrate teen and adult outcomes of participating in theory- and evidence-informed intergenerational mentoring programming
• Discuss how to replicate the BRIDGE2Health intergenerational mentoring program for teens and community adults 50 years of age and older

CEU Eligible

This training is approved for 1 CE clock hours for counselors, social workers, and marriage and family therapists in the state of Ohio. 

Over four decades, gerontology matured from a nascent multidisciplinary field into a robust area of scholarship—yet it faces an existential paradox. This talk traces gerontology's trajectory from the 1980s, when aging-related courses remained siloed in traditional departments; through an expansion period that saw increases in integrated programs and methodological innovation; to our current crisis: programs closing precisely when demographic realities demand increases in aging expertise. Despite clear workforce shortages and escalating societal need, gerontology programs declined from over 1,000 in 2000 to 537 by 2023 (Masters et al., 2023). Drawing on pedagogical literature and workforce data, Dr. Kinney considers several factors that underlie this paradox. Rather than lamenting this contraction, she proposes an optimistic reconceptualization: gerontology's future may lie not only in standalone programs, but also in embedding aging expertise across disciplines, centering systems-level thinking, and building practice-research-education partnerships that prepare professionals for our aging society's opportunities and challenges.

Presentation Objectives:

• Describe three major phases in the development of gerontology as a discipline
• Identify the major paradox in gerontological education/training today
• Evaluate solutions to this paradox

Since 2018, the Age-Friendly Innovation Center has led #ButtonUpAgeism Initiative. This multi-faceted initiative can be adapted for a wide range of audiences and has been done with students (elementary school, high school, undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral), community members of all ages, and professions across a wide range of sectors. The experience includes sharing of information on the cost (in dollars, health, and life space context) to ageism, guided community conversations about perceptions of aging, and a facilitated activity to support the reshaping of how individuals see their own aging. The conversation poses questions the encourage thoughtful reflection on how individuals view their own aging and how that shapes themselves and those they interact with each day. This workshop is designed for students and allows them to make an “Aging: So Cool Everyone’s Doing It” button while learning about ageism and having conversations about experiences and perceptions of aging.

Presentation Objectives:                                       

• Describe ageism and how perceptions of aging impact you and those you interact with each day
• Lead attendees in an activity to design and create a positive aging button to generate future community conversation

Opening Minds through Art (OMA) is an evidence-based, intergenerational program developed at Miami University's Scripps Gerontology Center to support creative self-expression among older adults living with dementia. Research demonstrates that OMA enhances mood, engagement, and empathy across generations, making it a powerful tool for experiential learning in gerontology education. This session will highlight practical approaches for integrating OMA into university courses and community partnerships to strengthen student learning and promote meaningful engagement with older adults. Presenters will share models for embedding OMA within curricula, drawing on examples from ongoing university collaborations to illustrate how OMA reinforces key gerontological competencies, challenges ageist assumptions, and deepens students' understanding of person-centered dementia care. The session will also address lessons learned from a diverse group of university partners, including strategies for navigating institutional context and overcoming barriers such as limited funding, staffing constraints, and securing leadership support. Attendees will gain implementation tools for initiating or expanding OMA-related experiential learning opportunities, including approaches to student recruitment, community-site collaboration, and aligning OMA activities with academic learning objectives. Participants will engage in a brief, hands-on demonstration to experience OMA's creative, person-centered methodology. By the end of the session, attendees will understand both the educational value of OMA as an experiential learning opportunity and the practical steps needed to implement this impactful program within diverse university and community settings.

Presentation Objectives:

• Identify strategies for integrating OMA into gerontology courses and university/community partnerships
• Describe lessons learned from university partners, including approaches for addressing common institutional barriers
• Provide practical tools for implementing and expanding OMA-related experiential learning opportunities

CEU Eligible

This training is approved for 1 CE clock hours for counselors, social workers, and marriage and family therapists in the state of Ohio.  

Identifying Informal Caregivers' Information Needs about End-of-Life for Dementia Care: A Qualitative Analysis

Although Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias are terminal conditions, discussions about end-of-life (EOL) often do not occur until the late stages of the disease. Consequently, there is insufficient time to ensure that patients’ values and goals of care are respected. Effective discussions about EOL must overcome several barriers, such as informal caregivers’ need to focus on the short term rather than long term, the unpredictability of the disease, difficulty discussing the highly emotional topic, and they are often not initiated by clinicians. However, when thinking back about their caregiving experience, informal caregivers expressed the importance of EOL discussions occurring earlier. The researchers conducted qualitative interviews with 27 bereaved informal caregivers to identify their informational needs related to EOL. They used a constant comparative approach to develop a codebook, assign codes, and interpret meaning. Four themes emerged: 1) determining the proper time plan EOL/balancing the uncertainty of the disease with proactive planning, 2) strategies to initiate EOL discussions/identifying how to bring up EOL with clinicians and family members, 3) learning about palliative care and hospice/education about each service and knowledge to navigate them effectively, and 4) bereavement care/reconciling a range of emotions. The interviews revealed specific information needs related to end-of-life. EOL planning should be an open, ongoing discussion between the patient, informal caregiver, and clinician that evolves over time. Effective planning in the early stages supports a better sense of control over future care, reduces burden on family members, and can lead to improved outcomes.

Presentation Objectives:

• Identify topics related to end-of-life that informal caregivers desire when caring for a person with dementia
• Discuss the importance of person-centered communication to facilitate difficult discussions
• Explain why end-of-life should be a discussion that occurs early on and continues over the course of the disease

"Overwhelmed but Curious”: Care Partner Perspectives on Education, Resources, and Coping after Aphasia Diagnosis

Care partners of people with aphasia (PWA) are faced with unique challenges, as their loved one's loss of communication may create specific barriers to expression, mutual understanding, and interaction (Simmons-Mackie et al., 2010). The present study aims to investigate the perspectives of care partners of PWA via semi-structured focus groups. During analysis, themes arose from focus groups highlighting the importance of education, the challenging and rewarding aspects of being a care partner to a PWA, and the power of a support system for care partners. First-hand accounts of care partners may serve as a guide for clinicians, as well as an important call to action for future studies.

Presentation Objectives:

• Identify ways in which clinical practice and research may be informed by the perspectives of care partners of people with aphasia
• Describe various challenges and rewards experienced by care parters of people with aphasia
• Explain how care-partner feedback in this study demonstrates the importance of person-centered care

Training Family Caregivers on Complex Care: An Opportunity to Improve Quality of Care? 

Family caregivers to persons living with dementia begin caregiving with little preparation. This contributes to caregiver worry when administering care, as well as the potential that care does not meet the care recipient’s needs or is low-quality. Few interventions have examined how to improve quality of family caregiving. Investigators examined whether a psychoeducational intervention improved quality of caregiving. Investigators conducted a randomized control trial comparing a 6-week facilitated group caregiver training program on complex care (e.g., how to use a gait belt) to a structurally equivalent control arm focused on healthy living for caregivers. Caregivers were surveyed prior to intervention, post-intervention, as well as 3- and 6-months post-intervention. The Task Management Strategy Index measured quality of care (range= 19 to 95; alpha=0.88). A linear mixed model was applied to examine change in scores over time by group, controlling for demographic and caregiving characteristics. Caregivers (N=79) had an average score of  58.05 (SD=11.11) on the TMSI at baseline, which increased by 3.93 (SD=5.87) in the intervention arm 6-months post-intervention. The mixed model did not reveal a group by time differences at either the 3-month (b=2.18; p=.200), nor the 6-month follow up surveys (b=-1.53; p=.33). Findings represent preliminary results from an ongoing trial, which did not support the use of complex care training to enhance care quality. Although caregivers in the intervention showed improved care quality, the differences with the control condition were not statistically significant. Future research will consider explanations for limited differences between groups.

Presentation Objectives:

• Examine whether a psychoeducational caregiver training program focused on complex care tasks improves the quality of family caregiving compared to a structurally equivalent healthy living control condition
• Discuss preliminary trial findings to identify potential explanations for limited differences between intervention and control groups, informing future directions for caregiver support interventions

Many students express interest in learning about aging policy but often have limited exposure to it in their coursework. This session aims to deepen students' understanding of how aging policy is developed, implemented, and shaped by advocacy. Through presentations and discussions led by two experts in the field, participants will gain insight into key programs across Ohio, such as PASSPORT, other home and community-based services, and the state-level ombudsman program. The session will also highlight opportunities for student engagement, whether through advocacy, research, or service, to ensure that Ohio remains the best place to age in the nation. In addition, students will be introduced to pathways for securing internships with aging service organizations, Area Agencies on Aging, state offices, and nonprofit partners that influence policy and practice. Presenters will briefly outline where students can locate policy resources in Ohio, including legislative updates, agency reports, and statewide initiatives that shape fields in aging. Following two brief presentations, students will be given the opportunity to engage in thoughtful discussion and be encouraged to ask questions. These conversations will include guidance on how to translate classroom knowledge into practical steps toward professional involvement. By connecting academic learning with real-world policy practice, this session empowers the next generation to shape the future of aging policy in Ohio. The session concludes with tangible recommendations that students can use to begin exploring the field more intentionally, including outreach strategies, volunteer entry points, and tools for tracking policy developments over time.

Presentation Objectives:

• Describe how aging policy is created and translated into services and programs
• Identify key organizations and roles within the aging network, along with internship opportunities that students can get involved in to support older adults
• Assist students in translating presentation material into their future careers within the aging network

Hospice social work supervisors face unique challenges in high-stress end-of-life care environments, exacerbated by pandemics, high turnover, and the shift to virtual modalities. This interactive session equips participants with evidence-based tools to enhance supervision effectiveness, mitigate burnout, and foster resilient practice. Drawing on clinical expertise and recent research, presenters will explore key stressors, such as pandemic-induced burnout, emotional toll of virtual care, staffing shortages, funding constraints, and grief isolation, impacting supervisors and supervisees alike. Attendees will gain a comprehensive understanding of three core supervision types: administrative (ensuring compliance and efficiency), educational/clinical (building skills in telehealth and crisis intervention), and supportive (addressing compassion fatigue). Through case studies and group discussions, participants will analyze complex demands within organizational and client systems, including adaptations for telehealth and countering misconceptions about hospice care. A focal lens will be parallel processes, where client stressors (e.g., isolation, anticipatory grief) mirror administrative pressures (e.g., budget cuts), influencing supervisory dynamics, particularly in pandemic-era contexts.  Practical strategies will be provided for troubleshooting challenging supervisee scenarios, such as managing virtual care fatigue, ethical dilemmas in remote grief support, and high-turnover interventions. Participants will leave with actionable frameworks, including reflective tools, role-play exercises, and resource templates to implement immediately. This session holds broad applicability for hospice administrators, social work educators, and clinicians, promoting sustainable supervision that improves staff retention, client outcomes, and organizational resilience in evolving care landscapes.

Presentation Objectives:

• Identify five primary stressors in hospice social work supervision and develop targeted mitigation strategies
• Describe the three types of supervision (administrative, educational/clinical, supportive) and their applications in hospice settings, including telehealth adaptations
• Analyze parallel processes and acquire practical tools for addressing challenging supervisee scenarios, such as compassion fatigue and virtual care demands

CEU Eligible

This training is approved for 1 CE clock hours in supervision for social workers in the state of Ohio.  

The ARISE (ARts through Intergenerational Social Engagement) program is a five-week intergenerational (IG) program focused on storytelling through the fine arts. It was developed through a partnership among Columbus Association for the Performing Arts (CAPA), a nonprofit arts and theater organization, The Ohio State University School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (OSU HRS), and GrowIN, a nonprofit organization that provides IG programming and education around nutrition, wellness, and the arts to people in central Ohio. The goal of the ARISE program is to improve the lives of multiple generations, reduce perceptions of generational differences, and increase appreciation of the arts. The ARISE program began in the summer of 2023 and continues each summer. Participants include teens from grades 9-12, undergraduate students from OSU and Columbus State University, and community-dwelling older adults and residents of long-term care facilities, all from central Ohio. This session will be divided into three parts: the first presents ARISE program details, results, and lessons learned. The second, is audience involvement with an activity from the ARISE program, storytelling through movement and dance, which will be facilitated by a teaching artist affiliated with CAPA. This session will conclude with a discussion panel of former ARISE participants (older adults, teens, college mentors), a representative from the Villages, the CAPA Director of Education and Engagement, OSU’s Golden Buckeye Center for Dementia Caregiving, and OSU HRS faculty. This session promotes the implementation of IG programs with multiple community partners in the context of positive aging and generational perceptions.

Presentation Objectives:

• Explore diverse perspectives on intergenerational learning, arts engagement, and community inclusion
• Present a storytelling-through-movement activity used in the ARISE program, recognizing how creative expression fosters empathy, communication, and connection across generations
• Identify the benefits of intergenerational engagement through the arts, with a focus on reducing generational stereotypes, enhancing social connectedness, and promoting positive aging

CEU Eligible

This training is approved for 1 CE clock hours for counselors, social workers, and marriage and family therapists in the state of Ohio.  

Agency Staff Utilization in Nursing Homes and Assisted Living Communities: Patterns and Concerns

Since 2020, long-term care providers have been faced with a shortage of direct care workers. As a result, many nursing homes and assisted living communities have turned to staffing agencies. Agency staffing is believed to be associated with worse resident outcomes, but understanding of how and why providers use agency staff, and the implications of their use, is limited, especially in assisted living communities. Using data from the 2023 Ohio Biennial Survey (> 90% response rate), nursing homes (N=513) and assisted living communities (N=335) that utilized agency staff for licensed nursing (Registered Nurses and Licensed Practical Nurses) and other direct care staff (Certified Nursing Assistant and Personal Care Aides) during the year were identified. Findings show that nursing homes are more likely to report higher and more extended use of agency staff than assisted living communities, which includes substituting for directly employed staff over four weeks and for all temporary reasons. In both settings, agency staff were most often engaged to address last-minute call-offs, difficult-to-hire shifts, and during the departures of an employee. The most common serious concern among administrators regarding agency staff are costs, lack of dedication to building, negatively impacting the morale of directly employed staff, inadequate time to know residents' care plans, and lack of knowledge of building policies and procedures. Since agency staffing has become a central workforce strategy, investment in the long-term care workforce is necessary to reduce the use of agency staff and this study provides important insights that help direct these investments.

Presentation Objectives:

• Identify the prevalence of agency staffing in nursing homes and assisted livings
• Describe the key reasons for using agency staff for licensed nursing staff and other direct care staff in nursing homes and assisted livings
• Describe the primary concerns that nursing home and assisted living administrators have regarding agency staffing

Enhancing Person-Centered Care in Nursing Homes: Implementation and Evaluation of the ComPASS-21 Digital Preference Tool in 4 Communities

Person-centered care empowers individuals by respecting their unique needs, preferences, and values. Implementation often falls short due to challenges in gathering and using residents' important preferences. The objective of the study was to evaluate the impact of ComPASS (Care Preference Assessment of Satisfaction), a digital tool designed to capture, share, and enable the actionable use of resident preference data during care planning meetings in nursing homes. A multi-phase pilot was performed in four nursing homes, including: 1) User testing and iterative development of the Compass-21 digital survey integrating Preferences for Everyday Living Inventory (PELI) and MDS Section F items  Baseline and post-intervention interviews with residents (using the Compass-21 tool), 2) Staff, resident, and family feedback on the usefulness of the report after quarterly care planning meetings. and 3) Quantitative analysis of preference-congruence (proportion of important preferences rated “very satisfied”) and qualitative analysis of barriers/facilitators. Baseline preference-congruence index ranged from 43% to 80% across sites, showing variability in fulfillment of resident preferences. ComPASS-21 reports were rated highly for helpfulness (mean 3.83/5), understandability (4.44), and usefulness (4.16). 14 of 26 residents showed post-intervention change in their preference-congruence index, with measurable improvements seen at the individual and community level, though overall group change was not statistically significant. Staff and families reported enhanced communication and targeted action items for care improvement. ComPASS is a feasible and impactful digital solution to measure the delivery of preference-based, person-centered care in nursing homes. Its real-time dashboard and automated reporting enhance care planning discussions and accountability. Further research and broader implementation are needed to maximize impact on resident satisfaction and quality outcomes.

Presentation Objectives:

• Explain how the use of preference-congruent care can improve care delivery in nursing home communities
• Review the COMPASS digital evaluation tool and how it was implemented
• Evaluate the COMPASS implementation and what was learned from the results of the implementation in 4 nursing home communities

"I'm Not Going to Just Listen to One Side": Care Managers' Communication Strategies to Facilitate Conflict Resolution in Home-Based Settings

Most adults would like to stay in their residences for as long as possible. To achieve this, millions of individuals will require community-based supportive services. The number of individuals receiving home and community-based services is increasing rapidly. There are many sources of interpersonal conflict in caregiving relationships. Conflicts can become so intense or intractable that the provider or client terminates services. Without needed services, institution-based care may be the only option for many individuals. Semi-structured qualitative interviews with seven care managers were conducted to identify ways that they are able to assist clients, caregivers, and providers of home care services in resolving conflict. Many themes related to communication strategies emerged. These include, empathizing, planning, and solving problems. These strategies were employed by care managers at all phases of conflict resolution and enabled them to support clients, assist them in reaching resolutions, and empower clients to effectively manage conflict on their own. Conflicts are guided by how actors behave and how others react to these behaviors. The way communication is used can manage perceptions and interpretations of these interactions. The effectiveness of communication strategies can directly affect the outcomes of conflict. Being oriented to interpersonal communication and conflict resolution is not a skill typically taught to healthcare professionals. As a result, approaches to communication vary greatly among practitioners and caregivers. These insights will improve our understanding of conflict in HCBS. A better understanding will enable us to develop resources to assist clients, caregivers, and families in resolving conflict.

Presentation Objectives:

• Identify how care managers use a variety of communication strategies to prevent and address conflict and empower clients
• Describe behaviors that facilitate conflict resolution
• Provide examples of conflict situations that care managers can address

Sexual abuse in later life is a topic that is rarely spoken about or researched. There is an extremely low number of these cases reported to authorities. In this workshop, participants will complete the case study, “Miss Mary,” a sexual and domestic violence case study from the Federal Department of Justice. Completing the case study will include a video and case study questions through audience participation. Participants will also be encouraged to examine their own agency's responses to these sexual/domestic violence elder abuse cases, the types of assistance other agencies in their community can provide, and the value of an interdisciplinary approach.

Presentation Objectives:

• Discuss the dynamics of sexual/domestic abuse in later life
• Analyze abuse in later life cases for power and control dynamics
• Discuss the complexities of sexual/domestic abuse in later life

CEU Eligible

This training is approved for 1 CE clock hours for counselors, social workers, and marriage and family therapists in the state of Ohio.