Trajectories in Aging and Care

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This proposal describes the continuation of a P20 Nursing Research Developmental Center at Duke University School of Nursing focused on Trajectories of Aging and Care - "TRAC Center". The overall goal of the TRAC Center is to establish the intellectual and physical infrastructure to support new and ongoing research focused on trajectories of aging and care. The Center is based on the assumption that insights from trajectory research inform the design and increases the precision of gerontological nursing interventions intended to improve health outcomes among impaired older adults across the continuum of care, from home to institution. Specific aims are to: 1. Examine the influence of biopsychosocial and environmental factors on patterns of health in later life as a basis for developing innovative approaches to positively reorienting trajectories of aging and care. 2. Initiate nurse led interdisciplinary studies that test interventions to prevent disease or declines in function, promote recovery from illness and restoration of function, support and enhance where possible the dying process, and assist frail older adults to attain and maintain optimal quality of life. 3. Enhance the productivity of both new and established nurse scientists engaged in research related to trajectories of aging and care. 4. Develop new collaborative research on factors influencing trajectories of aging and care and expand existing collaboration with investigators from the Gerontological Nursing Research Center at the University of Iowa and other R Research centers. These aims will be advanced within the two major TRAC Center components: The Administrative and Coordination Core and the Pilot/Feasibility Studies Core. The Administrative and Coordination Core integrates and coordinates all Center activities and provides a) training in longitudinal research design and analysis, b) entry to a consortium of LTC research sites, and c) seamless access to extant longitudinal databases capable of identifying clinically relevant factors that shape health patterns of in later life. The Pilot/Feasibility Studies Core supports the development, review, and timely completion of high merit pilot/feasibility studies focused on trajectories of aging and care.