Purdue Aging and Health Experts
Purdue Aging and Health Experts
- Studies the relationship between people and their companion animals, particularly the elderly. Expert on how people and animals interact.
- Studying pet ownership's effect on the elderly's emotional and physical well-being. Creating a model to project survival rates of pet owners who have had heart attacks. Chaired a national committee on animal sentinels, to see how pet animals can serve to detect environmental health hazards to people.
- Organized and documented a seven-nation study of daily life in old age. Researched the influence of social relationships in averting depression among elderly cancer patients.
- Researches problems in long-term marriages and the impact of cancer on spouse and family. Teaches a class in clinical gerontological psychology.
- Expert on pharmacy services for older patients both at community pharmacies and in nursing homes.
- Studied prescription drug use and misuse and abuse of alcohol by the elderly. Looked at the situation of working adults who are primary caregivers for the elderly. Special interest in health needs/functionality of people over age 85.
- Expert in drug composition, use and effects, particularly for geriatric patients.
- Expert on the delivery of pharmacy services to improve the health of institutionalized patients such as those in nursing homes. Studies self-care, especially the use of over-the-counter medications.
- Studies physical fitness programs and their effects on aging.
- Researches ways for the aging to maintain functional ability. Also looks at psychological well-being and quality-of-life issues. Studies ways for the aging to maintain independent living.
- Certified gerontological specialist. Expert on Medicare and other health care delivery systems for the elderly. Studies well-elderly and elderly in the community. Appointed to governor's board for CHOICE, a program to help keep the elderly independent and living in their own homes.
- Expert on aging and death and dying. Active in developing a community gerontology program.
- His studies include: ''Does Religion Influence Adult Health?'' ''Assessing the Impacts of Community-based Health Care Policies and Programs for Older Adults,'' ''Are Black Older Adults Health Pessimistic?'' ''Cohort Change in Images of Older Adults'' and ''Are Older People Most Afraid of Crime?'' Has produced book chapters on ''Widowhood and Health'' and ''Health Needs and Services for Older Adults: Evaluating Policies for an Aging Society.''
- Studied an experimental Medicare reimbursement effort aimed at containing Medicare costs. Has expertise in health care reform and health care organization in the United States and abroad.
- Researches the effects of screening and health risk appraisal for elderly persons.
- Expert in universal or transgenerational architecture and interior design. Research involves designing interiors for the deaf and hearing- impaired.
- Studied the amount of vitamin A required by the body at various life stages. Also studied the interaction of vitamin A and vitamin D and membrane renewal and aging.
- Studies nutrition in relation to health and chronic disease associated with aging.
- Studies memory in older adults. Looks at how being experienced in a certain area influences one's ability to function in that area.
- Researches text processing and remembering. Recent research involves factors that affect the ability of older adults to memorize or learn material.
- Has experience in psychiatric nursing. Expert in women's health, especially issues relating to post-hysterectomy. Studying factors in sexuality as people age.
- Expertise in prevention of osteoporosis. Also can comment on the health benefits of humor.
- Researches exercise and bone mass in women and calcium metabolism in adolescent girls, important to deterring osteoporosis in later life. Has published extensively on minerals in human nutrition, especially calcium and iron.
- Studies Parkinson's disease and its effect on speech.
- Studies communication disorders in old age. Also researches physical changes in old age that affect speech and swallowing.
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