November 2011 Volume 5, Number 10
A publication of the University of Utah Center on Aging
GSA Conference Presentations
Fourteen Center faculty and student members are presenting at the annual Gerontological Society of America's Scientific Meeting in Boston, MA, November 18-22, 2011.
Events
November 10, 2011 from 7:45-8:45am at HSEB 1750 - The Department of Internal Medicine Grand Rounds is being presented by Center member, Maureen Henery, JD:
Decision-Making Capacity: What Every Physician Needs to Know to Stay on the Right Side of Legal and Ethical Obligations
Preventing Elder Investment Fraud: Assessing for Vulnerability to Financial Exploitation
The Utah Geriatrics Society is hosting a dinner and continuing education program November 16, 2011 at the Little America Hotel. See the flier and registration form for details.
For more events, see the Center's Events Calendar.
New Members
Please join me in welcoming the following five new Center on Aging members.
- Katherine Anderson, MD – Division of Geriatrics
- Micah Drummond, PhD – Department of Physical Therapy
- Dustin Hammers, PhD – Department of Neurology,
- Center for Alzheimer's Care, Imaging, & Research
- Patricia Painter, PhD – Department of Physical Therapy
- Natalie Sanders, DO – Division of Geriatrics
If you know someone interested in becoming a member, please direct them to the Center's "how to join" Web page.
New Member Spotlight
Micah Drummond, PhD is a new Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy. Micah completed a post doctoral fellowship in skeletal muscle biology at UTMB in Galveston, TX. His K01-funded career development path finds him back in Utah (his PhD in exercise science is from BYU) working with Paul LaStayo, PhD, PT and colleagues where he will focus on translating his expertise in aging muscle biology into a rehabilitation research agenda. The goal of Dr. Drummond’s current NIA-funded K01 is to determine how aging and physical inactivity reduce the muscle anabolic effect of nutrients, and if physical rehabilitation can restore the anabolic response and improve strength and mobility.
Grants
Congratulations to Center member, Jan Morse, for receiving an AHRQ R01 award - Linkages Between the Safety of the Hospital Bed, Patient Falls, and Immobility
In the hospital, patient falls occur most frequently at the bedside, and some authors
have reported that the rate of bedside falls is as high as 50% of all falls. Of concern,
muscle strength failure during bed entry and exit and/or loss of balance as patients
exit the bed without assistance, place these patients at high risk for a bedside fall.
This study will explore the relationships between biomechanical factors in the fall-prone
patient and the structural characteristics of the hospital bed as they contribute
to fall risk. We will evaluate the safety of the hospital bed to determine how the
design can be modified to reduce the risk of falls and injury.
Center on Aging Membership Directory
As a mostly virtual Center, we depend on the accuracy and timeliness of our Web presence. Center members are urged to review and update their membership directory information. Please view your information on the Center’s Web site (click on your photo to see the detail page) and send any updates or requests for changes to Ginger Bair.
About our Logo
The bristlecone pine tree (Pinus longaeva) - the earth’s oldest inhabitant with a life span of almost 5,000 years - is found only in Utah and five other western states. Its extraordinary longevity and ability to adapt and survive in extremely harsh environmental conditions above 10,000 feet embodies the investigative spirit and mission of the Utah Center on Aging.
Best,
Mark A. Supiano, MD
Executive Director - Center on Aging
For more information about the University of Utah Center on Aging, please visit us
online at www.aging.utah.edu