Interdisciplinary, Community-Based, Health Education for Diverse Elders Allied Health Project Grant, Health Resources & Services Administration, HHS Rebecca A. States, PhD and William M. Susman, PT, PhD Division of Physical Therapy

Introduction  Grant Title: Interdisciplinary Community- Based Health Education for Elders from Diverse Backgrounds.  The Health Resources & Services Administration recently awarded LIU a three- year Allied Health Project grant for $292,438 (#1D37 HP ).  Project Director: Rebecca States, PhD Project Co-Director: William Susman, PT, PhD  Participating divisions/departments/ schools include: Communication Sciences and Disorders Nursing Occupational Therapy Physical Therapy Respiratory Care Social Work Several Objectives Will Address Each Health Topic  Develop a Community Education Module (CEM) to deliver up-to-date and practical information about each health topic. Each CEM will be designed for community-dwelling, well-elderly, and will be presented in English & Spanish at several Senior Centers in Brooklyn.  Create Multimedia Case Studies (MCSMs) that follow one client over time for each of the 3 health topics. The MCSMs will be used in interdisciplinary, web-based, computer- conferencing modules by students in health care and related disciplines at LIU-BC.  Create a web site with two facets.  One will provide resources for other health care education programs by disseminating the products of the above objectives.  The other will provide an easily negotiable site with information on the health topics for the well- elderly.  Develop a new continuing studies course for health care professionals to learn about interdisciplinary techniques related to caring for the elderly. Three Health Topics  Three health topics will be addressed because of their importance to community- dwelling elders from diverse backgrounds.  Dementia and Depression  Stress Reduction  Physical Activity  These topics were chosen to reflect the agenda of Healthy People 2010 and the expertise of LIU-BC faculty.  The three topics will be considered sequentially by grant personnel. In Fall 2002, CEMs and MCSMs will focus on Dementia & Depression. In Spring 2003 the focus will shift to Stress Reduction, and in Fall 2003 to Physical Activity. Current Activities Interdisciplinary Advisory Board An Interdisciplinary Advisory Board has met monthly since 9/01 to help direct the activities of the grant.  Board Members include the following LIU-BC faculty and administrators: Ellen Becker, Francine Conway-Guistra, Candy Dato, Susanne Flower, Ellen Godwin, Ellen Greer, Stacy Jaffee-Gropack, Stephen Gross, Cristiana Kahl, Luis Riquelme, Anne Scott, Rebecca States, William Susman.  Additional LIU-BC faculty and administrators serve as Consulting Members: Matthew Kerner, Janet Landau, Carol Magai, Evelyn Nieves, Lydia Posin, Cora VanDerveer, Albert Wong.

Web Site Development and Web Integration of MCSMs Selected grant personnel have begun working with the Faculty Media Resource Center and other personnel on campus to:  Specify the technology needed to provide streaming video of the MCSMs products of the CEMs on the web site.  Develop an overall structure and style guidelines for the web site. For the part geared toward elderly clients, special emphasis will be placed on ease of use, especially for those with disabilities.  Research other interdisciplinary health care web sites, those that offer health care education case studies, and those that provide education on the health topics of interest to consumers. Community Service Organizations Liaisons have been established with local community service organizations that represent a diverse population of urban elders, including some that serve a large number of Spanish- monolingual clients.  Spanish Speaking Elderly Council - RAICES  New York City Department for the Aging, Bureau of Community Services  Brooklyn Interagency Council of the Aging  Times Plaza Senior Center  Wyckoff Gardens Senior Center  Eileen Dugan Senior Citizens Center The Senior Centers will host the CEMs, some of which will be delivered in English and others in Spanish. Some Senior Centers may also facilitate the production of MCSMs, and provide a venue for video taping materials to be used on the educational web site. Additional sites may be added over time. Implementation of Dementia & Depression CEM & MCSM Key members of the IAB already have:  Researched the content and available resources  Generated presentations and interactive activities to promote understanding of the topic  Outlined the learning objectives for the first MCSM  Developed a strategy to evaluate the CEMs that can be implemented by students from LIU-BC health professions programs. Future Directions Funding for Year Two of the grant was recently approved, and activities will continue as outlined. During Summer and Fall 2002, we expect to present the CEMs for Dementia & Depression twice in English & twice in Spanish at local Senior Centers, and we will create the first MCSM. In Fall 2002, development will also begin on the Stress Reduction topic. Student Participation A strategy has been developed to provide for undergraduate and graduate students from any of the LIU-BC health professions and health- related programs on campus to participate in the CEMs. It involves:  A campus-based orientation meeting for all students involved in a CEM, prior to the CEM.  Participation in 4 sessions of a given CEM at one Senior Center where students will help deliver and evaluate the educational experience.  A post-CEM, campus-based, meeting for students to consider the effectiveness of this particular community education experience within an interdisciplinary context. This program will be available from Fall 2002 through Fall If you’d like more information, please send to