UMSON faculty members receive grant from Hillman and Davis Foundations to support research on improving care interactions for nursing home residents with dementia and pain.
Rachel McPherson, PhD, MA, assistant professor, and Barbara Resnick, PhD '96, RN, CRNP, FPALTC, FAAN, FAANP, professor, associate dean for research, and Sonya Ziporkin Gershowitz Chair in Gerontology, were awarded a $50,000 grant through a joint funding effort of The Rita and Alex Hillman Foundation and The Arthur Vining Davis Foundation in support of their project, "Improving Care Interactions for Nursing Home Residents with Dementia and Pain."
Nursing home residents living with dementia and unaddressed pain are vulnerable to negative interactions with staff that diminish quality of life and escalate distress. This project pilots the Fostering Positive Care Interactions program, where nursing home staff better recognize behaviors indicating pain and deliver compassionate, high-quality care.