GSA Momentum Discussions

Integrating Immunization in Long-Term Care

A routine immunization program in long-term care facilities can protect residents who are most at risk of poor outcomes if they contract a vaccine-preventable disease, however systemic challenges contribute to stagnant vaccination rates among residents and low vaccination rates among staff. In this episode, Dr. Barbara Resnick discusses her work in improving immunization rates in long-term care, using behavior motivation techniques to encourage staff and residents to get vaccinated, and what she sees as opportunities for future researchers and practitioners.  

Guest: Barbara Resnick, PhD, RN, CRNP, FAAN, FAANP  
Sonya Ziporkin Gershowitz Chair in Gerontology, University of Maryland School of Nursing 

Host: Justine Sefcik, PhD, RN 
Assistant Professor, Drexel University College of Nursing and Health Professions; Co-convener, GSA Interest Group on Nursing 

This podcast episode is supported by Seqirus. Content was developed by The Gerontological Society of America (GSA). 

Dementia-Related Psychosis in Long-Term Care: Series Part 3

Individuals with dementia-related psychosis experience worse outcomes than those who do not have psychosis, including but not being limited to accelerated time to being admitted to a long-term care facility and accelerated mortality. The manifestation of hallucinations and delusions in residents with dementia can also prove challenging for long-term care staff. Dr. Chad Worz discusses how appropriate documentation of a diagnosis of dementia-related psychosis and related care interventions are an important part of delivering individualized care for residents. 

Guest: Chad Worz, PharmD, BCGP
Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer of the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists (ASCP) 

Host: Judit Illes, BCL/LLB, MS, CPHQ 
Director, Strategic Alliances, The Gerontological Society of America 

For more information on dementia-related psychosis, see GSA’s February 2021 White Paper, Dementia-Related Psychosis: Strategies to Address Barriers to Care Across Settings. 

This podcast episode is supported by Acadia Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Content was developed by The Gerontological Society of America (GSA).

Dementia-Related Psychosis in Primary Care: Series Part 2

Primary care providers (PCPs) are ideally positioned to recognize, diagnose, and provide care planning for individuals with dementia who experience psychosis. Dr. Alexis Eastman discusses the important role of PCPs in team-based approaches to care and shares examples of innovative healthcare delivery models that can support PCPs in addressing dementia-related psychosis. 

Guest: Alexis Eastman, MD 
Medical Director of the Division of Geriatrics at the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics; Associate Professor at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health; Member of GSA’s Workgroup on Dementia-Related Psychosis.   

Host: Judit Illes, BCL/LLB, MS, CPHQ
Director, Strategic Alliances, The Gerontological Society of America 

For more information on dementia-related psychosis, see GSA’s February 2021 White Paper, Dementia-Related Psychosis: Strategies to Address Barriers to Care Across Settings. 

This podcast episode is supported by Acadia Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Content was developed by The Gerontological Society of America (GSA).

Diagnosing Dementia-Related Psychosis: Series Part 1

Dementia-related psychosis, defined as hallucinations and delusions in individuals with dementia, is a distinct neuropsychiatric symptom. Dementia-related psychosis differs from psychosis that originates from delirium or a pre-existing psychotic disorder (e.g., schizophrenia). Dr. Gary Small explains the challenges to and approaches for detecting and diagnosing these symptoms.  

Guest: Gary Small, MD
Chair of Psychiatry at Hackensack University Medical Center and Physician in Chief for Behavioral Health; Chair of GSA’s Workgroup on Dementia-Related Psychosis 

Host: Judit Illes, BCL/LLB, MS, CPHQ
Director, Strategic Alliances, The Gerontological Society of America 

For more information on dementia-related psychosis, see GSA’s February 2021 White Paper, Dementia-Related Psychosis: Strategies to Address Barriers to Care Across Settings. 

This podcast episode is supported by Acadia Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Content was developed by The Gerontological Society of America (GSA).

Understanding Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Influenza, and COVID-19

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) causes 177,000 hospitalizations and 14,000 deaths in older adults each year. Those over 65, adults with chronic heart or lung disease, and adults with weakened immune systems are particularly at risk. Yet RSV remains underdiagnosed. This podcast was originally recorded as a webinar, where Drs. Robin Jump and Lindsay Kim answer questions about RSV and its impact on older adults; the challenges of distinguishing between RSV, influenza, and COVID-19; and ways to keep older adults healthy with so many respiratory viruses circulating, particularly in a long-term care facility.

Guests:
Robin Jump, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor, Division of Infectious Diseases and HIV Medicine, Case Western Reserve University and Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center
Lindsay Kim, MD, MPH
Medical Epidemiologist, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Host: Elizabeth Sobczyk, MSW, MPH
Director, Strategic Alliances, The Gerontological Society of America

For more information, visit GSA’s National Adult Vaccination Program website.

This podcast episode is supported by Johnson and Johnson Health Systems, Inc. Content was developed by The Gerontological Society of America (GSA).

Understanding HIV in Older Adults: Part 2

Advances in medicine mean the number of older adults living with HIV/AIDS is increasing, which also presents new challenges to both aging service providers and HIV/AIDS service providers. In Part 2 of this series on Understanding HIV in Older Adults, Drs. Meredith Greene and Molly Perkins discuss the intersection of geriatric medicine and HIV specialists, as well as HIV prevention in older adults, medical, and psychosocial challenges for those who are aging with HIV, and the experience of those living with HIV during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Guest: Meredith Greene, MD
Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Geriatrics, University of California San Francisco

Host: Molly Perkins, PhD
Associate Professor, School of Medicine and Graduate Faculty of Emory Sociology, Emory University

This podcast episode is supported by ViiV Healthcare. Content was developed by The Gerontological Society of America (GSA).

Understanding HIV in Older Adults: Part 1

Advances in medicine mean the number of older adults living with HIV/AIDS is increasing, which also presents new challenges to both aging service providers and HIV/AIDS service providers. In Part 1 of this series on Understanding HIV in Older Adults, Drs. Mark Brennan-Ing and Molly Perkins discuss social networks, isolation, and social supports among older adults living with HIV; resilience as a way to address stigma; the diversity of those who are living with HIV; internalized ageism; and the use of crisis competence to learn from HIV survivors during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Guest: Mark Brennan-Ing, PhD
Senior Research Scientist, ‎Brookdale Center for Healthy Aging, Hunter College, CUNY

Host: Molly Perkins, PhD
Associate Professor, School of Medicine and Graduate Faculty of Emory Sociology, Emory University

This podcast episode is supported by ViiV Healthcare. Content was developed by The Gerontological Society of America (GSA).

Understanding COPD in Older Adults

Dr. Melissa Batchelor speaks with Dr. Barbara Yawn about her journey to becoming Chief Clinical Officer of the COPD Foundation. Dr. Yawn shares the misconceptions about COPD in older adults and challenges that lead to underdiagnosis. She discusses treatment options – both pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic – and the importance of an interdisciplinary team in treating COPD.

Guest: Barbara Yawn, MD
Chief Clinical Officer, COPD Foundation

Host: Melissa Batchelor, PhD, RN-BC, FNP-BC, FGSA, FAAN
Director of the Center for Aging and Health and Humanities and Associate Professor at George Washington University School of Nursing

For a quick reference, download the fact sheet Understanding COPD in Older Adults.  

For more information on COPD, see GSA’s recent What’s Hot publication: Recognizing and Treating COPD in Older Adults. 

This podcast episode is supported by GlaxoSmithKline. Content was developed by The Gerontological Society of America (GSA). 

Obesity and Its Disproportionate Impact on Racial and Ethnic Minority Populations

The vexing problem of the increasing weight of Americans has grown to epidemic proportions in recent decades. As millions of people enter older adulthood, they bring with them added pounds and the challenges of excessive body fat. Now recognized as a chronic medical condition, obesity is associated with serious health problems that increase morbidity and mortality, stigmatization at work and in social settings, decreased physical function, lower health-related quality of life, and increased direct and indirect health care costs. When combined with common aging-related challenges, obesity can create complex clinical situations without easy solutions. 

In this episode, Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford speaks with Dr. Tamara A. Baker, addressing the issue of obesity and specifically how the prevalence of obesity is different in communities of color versus majority communities in the United States. Dr. Stanford reviews the different factors that contribute to the high burden of obesity in racial and ethnic minority populations, why there appears to be worsened outcomes in patients who have obesity and COVID-19, and strategies that can be utilized to address excess weight in communities with high prevalence of obesity, especially in older adults.  The interview closes out with a review of barriers to receiving treatment and an overview of legislation has been proposed to help address the epidemic of obesity in our communities.

Guest: Fatima Cody Stanford, MD, MPH, MPA, FAAP, FACP, FAHA, FTOS
Obesity Medicine Physician Scientist, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School

Host: Tamara A. Baker, PhD, FGSA
Professor, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

This podcast episode is supported by Novo Nordisk. Content was developed by The Gerontological Society of America (GSA).