Affiliated Projects
Focused on finding ways to prevent disability, increase independence, and help older people lead active lives through research, education, and community outreach, the Center on Aging has embarked on a number of collaborative projects with the support of a variety of faculty and departments at the University of Miami. Simply click on the specific initiative below to learn more.
Center on Aging and Disabilities
Geriatrics Institute
L.I.F.E. Senior Fitness Program (Department of Wellness and Recreation)
Memory Disorders Center
UM/JMH Adult Protection Team
Center on Aging and Disabilities
The Center on Aging and Disabilities (CAD) is a community-directed advocacy, education and training initiative, concerned with issues that affect the lives and well being of older adults and individuals with disabilities and their families. Created in 1989, The CAD conducts qualitative research activities and develops and implements print and computer-based educational materials for a broad spectrum of the professional and general community. The Center collaborates with a number of local and national entities in carrying out its educational mission.
Among the topic areas The CAD addresses are: future-care planning for older parents of adults with developmental disabilities; abuse, neglect, exploitation and domestic violence against elders and individuals with disabilities; detecting vulnerable guardianship wards at increased risk for abuse and exploitation; the justice system’s response to crime victims with disabilities; the public services available to Florida residents with developmental disabilities; and, expanding inclusion opportunities for individuals with disabilities to participate in community service programs.
The Director of The CAD is Jean Sherman, Ed.D., R.N. She can be reached by phone at (305) 243-6397 or via e-mail: jsherman@med.miami.edu.
The newest component of the Center on Aging, the Geriatrics Institute, aims to consolidate service, education, and research in best care practices for frail elderly in South Florida.
The institute's mission is to discover a model force for the frail elderly that is scientifically informed, culturally sensitive, and ethnically appropriate. This mission will be pursued through partnerships and community and industry leaders in health care, in telemedicene (Miami VA), acute care (Jackson Memorial Hospital), palliative care, and advanced prostate cancer management (VITAS and UM/Sylvester GRECC/Center for Psychology Research), home care (VAMC and EverCare), and center for falls and injury prevention and counseling (ElderCare Companies and Medicaid; VA).
The unit aims to develop a premier multi-component senior care system, guided by traditional academic values in serving a nonsectarian population of frail elderly, with a broad range of the highest institutionally based and community-based care. Although operations encompass multiple sites, the unit is administered from a base at the Miami VA Medical Center.
New research involving several several departments and institutions is developing and promoting prescriptive approached to resistance exercise training for frail elderly, this new Center on Gging research initiative is synergistic with ongoing GRECC translational research in mobility, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, and falls and injury prevention. Ultimately, the theme of mobility and diseases that pose a threat to mobility will form the focus of several program project applications. In the area of nursing, the institute partners with the state's Teaching Nursing Home Program to create and foster education for nursing personnel in the care of frail elderly. The institute supports UME, GME, and CME through interactive programs centered on physician competencies in care of frail elderly. This education focus for the institute is reflected in the recently submitted application for education funding by the DW Reynolds Foundation.
For more information please, contact Bernard Roos, M.D, Ph.D, co-director of the Center on Aging, at 305-324-3388.
L.I.F.E. Senior Fitness Program
Research indicates that older adults who increase their physical activity can offset the physical loss of aging by approximately 50 percent. L.I.F.E. (Living Independently through Fitness and Exercise) is an exercise program especially designed for individuals 65 years of age or older with an emphasis on resistance exercise, functional, and flexibility training.With improved strength and flexibility, daily activities become easier to accomplish, allowing each participant to remain independent for as long as possible. The program includes basic weight training, stretching, modified yoga, and numerous coordination and balance activities.
Since its inception, L.I.F.E. has been named as a "Successful Active Aging Program" by the American College of Sports Medicine and has been featured in numerous articles. The program is offered at the University of Miami's Wellness Center every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 7 a.m., 8 a.m., and 9 a.m. (based on availability).
Each participant completes a functional fitness assessment upon entry into the program and every 12 weeks thereafter. Exercise professionals will supervise each session. The program cost is $150 for a 12-week interval (36 sessions). After 12 weeks, individuals are re-evaluated and their progress charted.
Prior to your participation in the L.I.F.E program, participants must complete a Pre-Participation Screening Questionnaire and informed consent form. An exercise clearance from your doctor is also necessary.
For Additional information, please call Tony Musto at 305-284-8503 or visit: www.miami.edu/wellness
The Memory Disorders Center is part of the University of Miami's Center on Aging and is supported, in part, by the State Florida Department of Elderly Affairs Alzheimer's Disease Initiative (ADI). The center is devoted to high-quality patient care, education of caregivers and health professionals, and pursuit of clinical research aimed at better diagnosing and treating Alzheimer's disease and related memory disorders.
Evaluation and Diagnostic Services
Patients receive a comprehensive evaluation by a multidisciplinary team that includes the following:
- Initial telephone intake interview
- Psychosocial interview
- Neurological, psychiatric, and cognitive assessments
- Diagnostic testing including blood work, brain imaging, and other individualized procedures
- Family conferences to discuss diagnosis, treatment plans, and management strategies
Psychosocial Services and Referrals
In addition to its diagnostic services, the University of Miami Memory Disorders Center provides psychosocial support and referral services to assist patients and their caregivers in dealing with the problem of memory loss and the difficult challenges it brings. These include counseling and psychotherapy to patients, primary caregivers, and other family members via telephone counseling and/or office visits. Referrals to other ADI components such as adult day care, respite care, and the Brain Bank, as well as to support groups, social services agencies, and other health care professionals.
Research
As part of an academic medical center, one of the major components of our program is research. In an effort to enhance our understanding of Alzheimer's disease and related memory disorders, the centers faculty and research staff are currently involved in research projects that encompass the biological, clinical, and psychosocial domains. Patients and their families have the opportunity to participate in many of these research studies.
Educational Services
The Memory Disorders Center offers a variety of educational activities for medical students, physicians, other health care professionals through lectures, clinic and inpatient rotations, grand rounds, as well as continuing medical education seminars and conferences. Educational and training sessions for caregivers, social service professionals, and the general public are conducted throughout the year, in both in English and Spanish, as part of the ADI Caregiver Educational Series.
Outreach
The University of Miami Memory Disorders Center is committed to meeting the needs of South Florida's multiethnic and multicultural communities. The center offers training sessions in Spanish, educational materials in Spanish and Creole, and works with various community agencies to promote outreach and education to the Hispanic, African-American, and Haitian communities.
For more information, please contact Steven Sevush, M.D., associate professor of Psychiatry and Neurology and medical director of the Memory Disorders Center at the University of Miami, at 305-243-4082.
Collaboration
The Wein Center for Alzheimers Disease and Memory Disorders, a joint program of Mouth Sinai Medical Center and the University of Miami's Department of Psychiatry, seeks to end Alzheimer's Disease and similar disorders through research, diagnosis, education, and treatment. For more information on this comprehensive approach to Alzheimer's disease click here.
The University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital Adult Protection Team (UM/JMH APT) is staffed by professionals from psychology, medical/psychiatry, and social work. This team conducts in-home mental and medical evaluations, evidentiary investigation, case reviews, and consultations in cases of suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation. Referrals made to the Florida Elder Abuse Hot Line (1-800-96ABUSE) are re-routed to us by District XI Department of Children and Families Adult Protective Services if multiple needs are identified. The collaboration between UM/JMH APT and DCF brings forth a better understanding, identification, and treatment of abuse against vulnerable residents in Miami-Dade County.
The liaison between UM/JMH APT and DCF has been in place since January 2002. Over 200 separate cases have received initial, on-site evaluations within 24 hours of being referred for physical abuse, mental/emotional abuse, unmet medical or psychiatric needs, caregivers’ neglect, financial exploitation, or complex concerns; three cases were unfounded of initial allegations. In the process, UM/JMH APT has identified more efficient ways to assist in the prosecution of abuse cases, through specific court testimonies; to support early detection, through greater awareness and education among those professionals who work with disabled adults and the elderly; and, to prevent the potential for re-victimization in the future, through lectures at University of Miami School of Medicine Geriatrics Curriculum.
