Three UMSON Faculty Secure $5.3 Million in NIA Grants to Advance Aging Research

Three University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON) faculty members have been awarded a collective $5.3 million in grants from the National Institute on Aging (NIA) to advance research aimed at improving the care and quality of life of older adults in hospitals, nursing homes, and assisted-living facilities.

Brittany Burch, PhD, RN, assistant professor; Joan Carpenter, PhD, CRNP, ACHPN, FGSA, FPCN, FAAN, associate professor; and N. Jennifer Klinedinst, PhD, MPH, MSN, RN, FAHA, associate professor, will each lead projects that address critical issues affecting aging populations — from physical activity and hospital recovery to dementia care and apathy among long-term care residents.

“This new research is critically important today as we develop the next generation of researchers and research ideas,” said Barbara Resnick, PhD ’96, RN, CRNP, FAAN, FAANP, professor, Sonya Ziporkin Gershowitz Chair in Gerontology, and associate dean for research. “It is these individuals who will help address and assure that the growing number of older adults anticipated over the next decade will receive the best possible and most up-to-date care.”

Burch was awarded a five-year, $610,201 grant from the NIA for her project “Preserving Ability Through Virtual Exercise (PAVE): An Intervention to Increase the Physical Activity of Hospitalized Older Adults.”

The study will focus on the use of virtual reality to increase older patients’ physical activity while minimizing hospital staff time investment. Although some studies have suggested that virtual reality physical activity is feasible among older adults and could help maintain physical function, these studies have been small, and a dearth of research exists in the hospital setting, where functional decline is widespread, according to Burch.

The overall objective of the study is to:

• determine the feasibility of the virtual reality intervention among hospitalized older adults, compared to an education control group
• test the hypothesis that patients exposed to the virtual reality intervention will demonstrate greater time spent in physical activity throughout their hospital stay and better maintain their physical function when compared to those exposed to the education control.

Carpenter was awarded a five-year, $3.9 million grant from the NIA for her project GOals of Care-ADdressing Variation for Alzheimer’s Disease Nursing Home Care at End of Life (GOC ADVANCE).

Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) disproportionately impact Black Americans. Most people with ADRD and their family decision-makers prioritize comfort, yet burdensome interventions and lack of shared decision-making about goals of care are common in nursing homes with a high proportion of Black residents. 

The study aims to conduct a real-world efficacy cluster randomized control trial comparing communication and care management outcomes among ADRD decision-makers in nursing homes implementing the GOC ADVANCE intervention. Additionally, the study will evaluate the implementation of the GOC ADVANCE intervention.

Klinedinst was awarded a $802,000, two-year grant from the NIA for her project “The Volunteering-in-Place Program for Apathetic Assisted Living Residents with Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias.”

Apathy, defined as “the quantitative reduction of self-generated voluntary and purposeful behaviors” affects over half of individuals with ADRD. Apathy is associated with increased disability, poorer quality of life and mortality among older adults with ADRD. Moreover, apathetic adults with ADRD are also more likely to be sedentary for long periods of time, which results in declines in function, and negatively impacts overall health and quality of life.

She will be the principal investigator in a research study to test the efficacy of an individualized volunteering intervention to decrease apathy and sedentary behavior in assisted living residents with mild to moderate cognitive impairment, including those with ADRD.  Additionally, she will explore self-efficacy and feelings of usefulness as mechanisms for volunteering to reduce apathy among assisted living residents with ADRD.

These projects advance UMSON’s leadership in gerontological research and its commitment to improving outcomes for older adults in diverse care settings.

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The University of Maryland School of Nursing, founded in 1889, is one of the oldest and largest nursing schools in the nation and is ranked among the top nursing schools nationwide. Enrolling nearly 2,100 students in its baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral programs, the School develops leaders who shape the profession of nursing and impact the health care environment.