9/28/22 Recipe:

Macaroni, Tomatoes and Vegetables

Ingredients: 
1 ¾ cup dry macaroni Large elbows cooked in water follow package directions
1 can beans, your favorite type (black, pinto, kidney, white, chick-pea)
½ package frozen mixed vegetables (use what you may have on hand)
1 can whole tomatoes
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon oregano
1 Tablespoon fresh flat parsley or ½ t dried parsley
1 teaspoon onion flakes
2 vegan bouillon cubes or your favorite flavor.  (If you use all vegetable bouillon cubes this is a vegan recipe.

Directions: In a large saucepan, bring water, salt, bouillon cubes and all seasoning except parsley to a boil.
When water is boiling, add macaroni and reduce the heat, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Cook 4 minutes.
Add tomatoes, beans and frozen vegetables.
Continue to cook until macaroni is tender.
Add the fresh parsley at the end of cooking, and serve.

7/27/22 Recipes:

Deconstructed Tomato Salad

Ingredients:

Heirloom tomatoes, can be grape tomatoes, cherry tomatoes or full size. Choose different colors
3 or 4 large tomatoes or a pint of small tomatoes

8oz Fresh Mozzarella

1T Fresh Basil

¼ C olive oil

2T balsamic vinegar

2 cloves fresh garlic or 1 t garlic powder

1t sea salt

1t black pepper

1T fresh thyme

1 loaf crusty bread or baguette

Directions:

Roughly dice the tomatoes and place in a large serving bowl

Tear or dice the mozzarella and add to the tomatoes

Add all the seasoning and herbs

Add olive oil and vinegar

Stir all ingredients together and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to stand for 30 minutes to one hour.

Serve with toasted bread or sliced bread

Sliced Tomato Gratin

https://www.kqed.org/jpepinheart/1081/sliced-tomato-gratin

6/22/22 Recipes:

Homemade Chicken Nuggets

Ingredients: 
1 14-16 oz chicken breast, or boneless skinless thighs to equal 16 oz.
 4 T olive oil
4 T flour ( any flour may be used.  Rice, almond, oat or any flour may be substituted for wheat flour)
1 t salt
1 t garlic powder
½ t black pepper
½ t dry mustard
½ t dry ginger
Any spices may be added or omitted depending on preference for taste. Some options may be Cajun seasoning, red pepper, Greek seasoning, or a favorite blend. When using spice blends, check for salt content. If the blends have salt, adjust the salt in the ingredients list to ½ t salt.

Directions:

1.  Cut the chicken breast into 3 cutlets or flatten to ½ inch thick, and then cut into 2 inch squares. If using thighs, flatten and cut into 2 inch squares (approximately).  Place into a large bowl.
2. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to the chicken and coat well.
3. Distribute spices and coat well.
4. Sprinkle in flour and coat each piece of chicken well.
5. Heat 2 T olive oil in a skillet. Lay each piece of chicken in the pan. Don’t crowd the skillet. As the edges brown turn each nugget to brown the other side – usually about 3 minutes on one side and 2 minutes on the other over medium heat.
6. Drain on paper towel. Serve plain or with your favorite dipping sauce.

5/25/22 Recipes:

Healthy Hamburger Mix Of Beef And Turkey

Ingredients:

• 1-1/4 lb 80/20 ground beef
• 1-1/4 lb 85% lean ground turkey
• 1 Tbsp garlic powder
• 1/2 Tbsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp ground pepper
• 1/2 Tbsp sea salt
• 1-1/2 Tbsp worcestershire sauce

• Mix all the ingredients in large mixing bowl, massage the mixture well so all the meat is blended well with ingredients.
• Create six size tennis balls with the meat, then compress the meat with your thumbs to make the patties
• Grill the patties on high heat for 6 min on the first side then 4-5 minutes on the second side. Let burgers rest for 5 min before serving.
• Serve with your veggies and condiments.
  optional… add cheese, bacon strips.
  Burgers are perfect for a lettuce wrap if keeping the carbs down.

Lime Slaw

• Ingredients:
• 1 package pre shredded cabbage and carrot slaw mix; unseasoned
• 2 limes (juiced)
• ¼ red onion (more or less depending on your taste)
• ¼ cup olive oil
• Salt 1 teaspoon (coarse sea salt is favorite choice, but any salt will do)
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons dried dill

Directions:

• Empty the shredded cabbage into a large mixing bowl.
• Cut the onion into thin strings, or shred on a box grater.  Add to cabbage and mix well
• Season the cabbage and onion with salt, garlic and dried dill.  Mix well
• Pour in olive oil and lime juice.  Mix well.  It is best to use your hands to get all the seasoning mixed into the cabbage.

Make 1 hour ahead, up to a day ahead, and allow to chill before serving.

This is a great slaw as a side dish, sandwich topping or a taco topping.  This slaw travels well since there is no mayonnaise in the recipe.  It is also sugar free.  The flavor really develops over time. 

Modifications can be made to suit personal taste.  More or less onion may be added.  Hot or bell peppers may be added.  Shredded broccoli or Brussel sprouts may be added.  Enjoy making this recipe and then make adjustments as you like.

4/20/22 Recipes:

Chicken and Asparagus bundles with lemon caper sauce

Ingredients:

12-15 asparagus stalks (a whole bunch may be used in this recipe)
1 large boneless chicken breast 14-16 ounces (pre-cut chicken cutlets may be used but are more expensive)
3 slices deli ham
3 thin slices swiss cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon black pepper
4 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoon olive oil
1 lemon
1 Tablespoon seasoning mix (this recipe is using Everything but the Bagel Mix) but any herb mix will work.
1 Tablespoon Honey
1 small jar of capers

Instructions:

Cut the chicken breast carefully into 3 cutlets. To make cutlets cut horizontally through the chicken breast from the larger end to the smaller end. Make two cuts to make three cutlets.  Flatten the cutlets on a sheet of wax paper or parchment paper.

Cut the woody end off of the asparagus. Make the spears uniform in length.  Lightly sauté the spears in 2 T butter and 1 T olive oil until soft and pliable, about 2 minutes

Season both sides of each cutlet with salt pepper and garlic powder. Layer 1 slice of ham, 1 piece of cheese and several asparagus stalks on the chicken cutlet. Roll the cutlet around all the ingredients and secure with a tooth pick. Do not use plastic tooth picks.

Place the chicken rolls in the skillet and brown both sides of the cutlets in the oil left from sautéing the asparagus. Cook in the skillet, covered until chicken is done and cheese is melted.  Test the chicken with a thermometer and look for a temperature of 165 degrees or higher. Turn the chicken rolls 1 time during cooking. Cooking the roll ups may be done in a baking dish in the oven at 350 for 15 minutes. 

Remove chicken roll ups from the pan and place in a serving dish. Make the sauce. Use the same skillet that the chicken and asparagus were cooked in. Add the remaining oil and butter, scraping the seasoning from the bottom of the pan. Add the juice of one lemon, seeds strained out. Add ½ bottle of capers, 1 T honey and stir well. Add the seasoning mix of your choice, and check the label to see if salt is added to your mixture. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning to taste. Do not add extra salt if you are using salted butter, or if your seasoning mix has salt as one of the ingredients.
After the sauce has heated through and butter and olive have melted together, pour over the chicken rollups and serve. This dish should be served hot. 

This dish is great with a fresh green salad with a vinaigrette dressing, or with a side of angel hair pasta, rice, or rice noodles. 

Other flavor additions that work well in the lemon sauce are sesame seed and soy sauce. Use all the seasonings lightly so the lemon flavor shines in this recipe.

Asparagus with Lemon Butter Sauce

Ingredients

Fresh asparagus 1 bunch
1 lemon
4 Tablespoons Butter
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 small bottle capers
Seasoning of your choice: about 2 teaspoons  (I am using everything but the bagel seasoning) of garlic, thyme, sesame seed, 1 t whole grain mustard, onion flakes, any of these flavors or combination of flavors will work with asparagus. Use what you like, or what you have available in your kitchen.
1 T honey

Kitchen equipment needed:
Pot of boiling water
bowl of ice water
baking dish, oven proof
kitchen knife
strainer
heat safe spoon or spatula
kitchen tongs if you have them – If not, a spoon will work fine

Directions:
Blanche the asparagus by steaming or plunging in boiling water until bright green, about 2-3 minutes then plunge in ice water to set the color.  Arrange in a glass dish or any pretty baking dish.

Make the sauce. In a skillet, melt the butter and olive oil together. As the butter is melting, juice the lemon. To make it juice easier, roll the lemon on the counter until it feels soft. Strain out the seeds.

After the butter and olive oil are melted together, add the lemon juice, seasoning of your choice, capers and then finish with the honey. Stir well. The sauce is not thick, but the honey will thicken it a little.

Pour sauce over the asparagus and serve. This may be served at room temperature or warm. If you want to re-heat, place in the oven at 200 degrees until the butter melts and asparagus warms through. Use a low heat to keep the asparagus green and a little crunchy. 

2/23/22 Recipe:

Homemade Pizza

Pre-made pizza crusts

Pizza sauce pre-made in jar

8 oz of shredded part skim low moisture mozzarella cheese

4 oz of grated parmesan cheese

Various toppings (pepperoni, ham, mushrooms, onion, peppers, etc.)

Olive oil

Oregano, basil, garlic powder

Instructions:

Preheat oven following the directions on the pre made crust package.

Assemble the pizza:

For an 8 inch crust use 3 to 4 tablespoons of sauce. Layer the cheese and ingredients of your choice. Bake according to the crust directions or until crust is browned and cheese is melty.

This is a great recipe for a cooking activity with friends and family. Pizzas can be made with any combination of ingredients. Everyone can make what they like.

The pizzas can be made vegetarian or vegan using cheese substitutes or no cheese at all. The pizzas can also be made with no sauce.

Brush the crusts with olive oil and season with garlic powder, oregano, basil and parmesan cheese and then top as desired.

11/24/21 Recipes:

Homemade Hot Chocolate

2 c. confectioners’ sugar

1 c. unsweetened cocoa powder

2 c. powdered milk or instant nonfat dry milk

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, sift the confectioner’s sugar, then the unsweetened cocoa, to get
   rid of any lumps.
2. Stir in the powdered milk, and whisk well until everything is combined.
3. Add mini marshmallows to the container, if desired. This can be kept in the
   pantry for 6 months.

(The Pioneer Woman)

Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix In A Jar

Ingredients
● 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
● 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
● 3/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups (9 ounces) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet
Chocolate Morsels
● 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
● 1/2 cup granulated sugar
● 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
● 1 large egg
● 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
● 1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional), 1 1/2 cups (9 ounces) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet
Chocolate Morsels
● 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
● 1/2 cup granulated sugar
● 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
● 1 large egg
● 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
● 1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Place flour mixture in a 1-quart jar. Layer morsels, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in the order listed above, pressing firmly after each layer. Seal with lid and decorate with fabric and ribbon.

RECIPE TO ATTACH: Preheat oven to 375° F. Beat 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) softened butter or margarine, 1 large egg, and 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract in a large mixer bowl until blended. Add cookie mix and 1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional); mix well, breaking up any clumps. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

(Nestle Toll House)

Vegetarian Five Bean Soup Mix

1 pound pinto beans
1 pound split green peas (or green lentils)
1 pound great northern beans
1 pound black beans
1 pound kidney beans
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon dry mustard
2 tablespoons dehydrated onions (found in the spice aisle)
2 tablespoons sea salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
8 bay leaves
4 vegetable bouillon cubes
4 clear quart Mason jars plus lids and rings
Parchment paper
Tape or stickers
Labels
Fabric and ribbon to cover top
Instructions

1. In each of the four Mason jars, layer 2/3 cup of pinto beans—shaking the jar
   gently to level the beans. Then repeat with 2/3 cup of green peas and so on
   ending with the kidney beans. Set jars aside.
   YIELD: 4 JARS
   PREP TIME
   10 minutes TOTAL TIME
   10 minutes
2. In a small bowl, combine all remaining spices except bay leaves and bouillon
   cubes.
3. On a 10″ x 10″ piece of parchment paper, spoon 3 tablespoons of the spice
   mixture in the middle. Place two bay leaves and one bouillon cube on top. Fold
   parchment around spices to make a small spice packet. Seal with tape or stickers.
   Repeat three more times to create four total packets. Squish the packets into the
   top space of each of the four bean jars. You can also package the spices into
   plastic zip-top baggies if you prefer.
4. Place lids on jars, cover in fabric and ribbon and label as desired.

(Wholefully.com)

9/22/21 Recipes:

Homemade Taco Seasoning

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 tablespoons cumin
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried onion
• 1 teaspoon oregano
•  teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch (optional)

Add all the spices to a mason jar. Cover tightly and shake! Enjoy on chicken, shrimp, or beef!

(gimmedelicious.com)

Eating Smart Seasoning Mix

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 teaspoons black pepper
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
• 3/4 cup dried, minced onion
• 2 cups dried milk, non-fat

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients.
2. Store in airtight container.
3. Use in recipes as indicated.

(myplate.gov)

Homemade Ranch Seasoning (Dressing Mix)

Ingredients

• ½ cup buttermilk powder
• 2 tablespoons parsley
• 1 teaspoon dill
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 2 teaspoons onion flakes
• 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 2 teaspoons chives

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Place in an airtight container and store up to 6 months.

(spendwithpennies.com)

8/25/21 Recipes:

Chicken Soup

• 1 32 oz chicken broth fat-free
• 1 boneless chicken breast cooked and shredded
• 1 cup cooked brown rice
• 1 3/4 cups vegetables (fresh chopped, such as potatoes, carrots, celery, or
• cabbage)or 1 package frozen soup vegetables
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon parsley (dried)

Directions

1. Use leftover cooked chicken, or cook enough chicken to make 1 cup of chicken pieces.
2. Place the cooked chicken in a large saucepan.
3. Add the broth and uncooked rice. Cover the pan.
4. Bring the broth and rice to a boil.
5. Cover the pan, and turn the heat to low.
6. Stir and simmer for 15 minutes.
7. Add the chopped onions, chopped vegetables, and seasonings.
8. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes unl the vegetables are tender.

7/28/21 Recipes:

Cornbread Pan Cakes

• ¾ cup cornmeal ( white or yellow, but not cornbread mix)
• ¼ cup flour
• *1 cup of cornmeal may be used by omitting the flour
• 1t baking powder
• ½ t salt
• ¼ t baking soda
• 1 cup buttermilk (use more or less depending on how thick you like your batter)
• 1 egg
• vegetable oil spray

Mix all dry ingredients together in a bowl. Next, beat the egg and add it to the dry ingredients. Add buttermilk by gradually mixing to desired consistency. Heat a non-stick skillet. Spray with the non-stick spray. Spoon batter into hot skillet, about ¼ cup per cake. Once bubbles form all over top, turn and cook the other side. Serve with butter and vegetables.

Baked (just like fried) Okra

• Fresh okra (1 quart basket)
• ¼ cup cornmeal
• ½ t salt
• ½ t black pepper
• 1 t garlic powder
• 2T olive oil

Cut up okra into 1/2 to 1/4 inch slices and put in a large bowl. Pour oil into okra and mix well. Add salt, pepper, garlic powder and mix well. Add the cornmeal and mix well. Arrange in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes.

Purple Hull Peas

• 1 1/2 cup raw purple hull peas
• 1 t salt
• 3 cups water
• 4 to 6 oz smoked cooked ham cut into bite sized pieces

Place all ingredients in a 2-quart saucepan. Bring to boil. Stir to prevent foaming. Cover and simmer for 20 – 30 minutes. Serve with cornbread.

Serve all of the above with fresh, sliced tomatoes.

6/23/21 Recipes:

Skillet seared steak

Ingredients:

• 6 oz beef filet
• Salt
• Pepper
• Garlic powder
• 1 package frozen brown rice
• 1 can beef broth
• 1 roasted red pepper, rough chop
• 2 T olive oil

Preparation:

• Cut beef filet in half crosswise
• Season the beef with ½ t salt, black pepper, and garlic powder
• Heat 1 T olive oil in a skillet. Cook the steak on each side for about 4-5 minutes, check with a quick read thermometer for 135 degrees F for medium
• Remove steak from skillet

Prepare rice in microwave according to instructions.  Add 1 T olive oil to the skillet.  Add roasted red pepper, rice, 1/8 t salt and ½ can beef broth.  Stir until broth is absorbed.

Make a bed of rice and serve beef on top.

(optional:  add mushrooms, asparagus, and sautéed onion)

Caprese Salad

Ingredients:

–

• 3 tomatoes, preferably Heirloom and fresh
• 1 16 oz ball of fresh mozzarella cheese
• 15 basil leaves (more if you love basil)
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ½ t salt
• ½ t black pepper
•  2 T balsamic vinegar
• 1 Cup lightly packed arugula (preferably fresh)

Directions:

1. Wash and slice the tomatoes
2. Thinly slice the fresh mozzarella
3. Chiffonade the basil

Alternate tomato slices with cheese slices around a plate on a bed of arugula
season with salt and pepper and generously sprinkle the basil shreds over the plate.
Top with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  (vinegar is optional)

Broiled Peach dessert

Ingredients:

Fresh peaches: 1 half peach per person
1/8 t salt
1 t brown sugar per peach half
¼ t cinnamon per peach half

Directions:

• Slice peaches in half and remove the pit
• Lightly sprinkle each peach half with salt, brown sugar, and cinnamon
• Broil under med. broiler for 4 or 5 minutes or until peaches are heated and sugar is caramelized
• Serve alone or with whipped cream or a small scoop of ice cream

First Responder Online Dementia Training

KARK Channel 4 (NBC) recently featured the UAMS Arkansas Geriatric Education Collaborative in a video story about our recently-launched Online First Responder Dementia Training. You can check out KARK’s story about our online training, featuring interviews from UAMS Police Chief Barrentine and AGEC’s Laura Spradley, by clicking here.

To learn more information or to register for our free Online First Responder Dementia Training, click here.

 

 

 

UAMS Arkansas Geriatric Education Collaborative Awarded $3.7 Million by Health Resources and Services Administration

UAMS Arkansas Geriatric Education Collaborative, Clinton School Address Opioid Crisis

KATV News Story: https://katv.com/news/local/town-hall-medical-professionals-address-opioid-use-for-chronic-pain

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette News Story : https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2019/apr/13/opioid-struggles-focus-of-forum-2019041/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UAMShealth/videos/380861315843726/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProgramsUACS/status/1117867656990744576

 

UAMS Arkansas Geriatric Education Collaborative Awarded $3.7 Million by Health Resources and Services Administration

About this Blog:  AGEC Geriatric Student Scholars provide a first hand account of their experience as a Geriatric Student Scholar at the UAMS Arkansas Geriatric Education Collaborative. 

My name is Samantha Pennington, and I am a 2019 Geriatric Student Scholar for the UAMS Arkansas Geriatric Education Collaborative (AGEC). I am from the small town of Poyen, Arkansas. In 2016, I graduated from Henderson State University with a Bachelor of Science in biology and a minor in chemistry. Currently, I am a third-year pharmacy student at the UAMS College of Pharmacy. I work at Community Care RX Pharmacy in Malvern, AR and Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock, AR.

I have always loved the geriatric population. I have been blessed with awesome grandparents and elders in my life! Older adults are complex patients with many aspects of care to consider. When I graduate, I hope to be a resource that geriatric patients in my community can turn to. To learn to better care for this population, I enrolled in a Geriatric Therapeutics course with Dr. Lisa Hutchison last semester. We helped lead a Medicare Part D clinic at the UAMS Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging. During this clinic, we met with geriatric patients and helped them to choose the best insurance plan option. We also participated in an “Adopt-A-Patient” assignment and were given a patient to follow throughout the semester. My partner and I went to our patient’s house to visit with her three to four times over the semester. We were able to get to know her and her family. She told us about her life story, shared lessons she learned through the years, and always made us laugh. I thoroughly enjoyed sharing time with my patient. We discussed her medical conditions, therapy, and even quizzed her on her medications. She was a great sport and allowed us to perform physical assessments and mental state examinations. This course expanded my interest in this population and helped me to discover that I love the field of geriatrics!

Since January, I have had the pleasure of attending two academic Geriatric Grand Round presentations and participating in three community events. The grand rounds were “Treatment for Alzheimer’s Disease “Inside & Outside the Box” and “To Urinate or Not to Urinate: That is the Problem.” The community events were Hope for the Future Caregiver Workshop, Diabetes Empowerment Education Program, and Alzheimer’s Experience: Take a Walk in Their Shoes. All of these events helped to expand my knowledge of common geriatric conditions and disease states. It is so important for health professionals to learn how to provide appropriate care for the geriatric population. There are many aspects to consider, from complex disease states to geriatric syndromes such as delirium, polypharmacy, and malnutrition. Health care providers must learn how to manage these disease states, while also considering the pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics of treatment. It is also important to be able to break-down complex concepts to each patient so that they can provide the best care for themselves. I have enjoyed learning about this population and having the opportunity to meet some great patients. I can’t wait to learn more as I continue throughout my pharmacy school education!

About the program: The purpose of the Student Scholars program (sponsored by AGEC) is to increase health professions students’ interest and exposure to older adults, to improve knowledge of older adults and the specialized care they need and to promote interprofessional collaboration among health professions students. Click here to learn more about the AGEC Geriatric Student Scholar Program.

 

It is with great pleasure that the Arkansas Geriatric Education Collaborative (AGEC) announces its 2019 selection for the Geriatric Student Scholars program – Samantha Pennington, a third-year College of Pharmacy student; Taylor Bennett, a third-year College of Medicine student, Holly Bennett, a second-year College of Health Professions student and Larreasha Adams from the College of Nursing Adult-Geriatric Primary Care Program.

The purpose of the Student Scholars program (sponsored by AGEC) is to increase health professions students’ interest and exposure to older adults, to improve knowledge of older adults and the specialized care they need and to promote interprofessional collaboration among health professions students.

We are so excited to announce the Geriatric Student Scholars for FY 2019 to support emerging health professionals education and participation surrounding specialized needs for older adults, and to foster interprofessional collaboration in academic and clinical geriatrics. The goal of the Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP) is to enhance the quality of health care for elderly Arkansans through research, education and training. The Geriatric Student Scholars program is an excellent way to achieve this goal and mentor future healthcare team members. – AGEC Director, Robin McAtee, Ph.D., RN., FACHE

UAMS’ Arkansas Geriatric Education Collaborative is a program of the University Of Arkansas for Medical Sciences – Department of Geriatrics. The collaborative is funded by a Health Resources and Services Administration grant of $3.2 million for a Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program.

by Heather Mercer
Executive Director, ImmunizeAR

 

Last flu season was brutal. In Arkansas, 227 people died from influenza, including 171 adults who were 65 and older, and we had a record number of flu-related hospitalizations. Arkansans aren’t doing a great job getting flu vaccines. According to the CDC, only 46 percent of the general population got a flu vaccine during the 2016-17 season.¹ One reason for the low vaccination rate in Arkansas may be a lack of patient understanding of the efficacy of the flu vaccine. The media didn’t help this last year when they wrongly reported the U.S. flu vaccine was only 10 percent effective based on Australia’s flu season.  Vaccinations for other diseases work so well that people may have unrealistic expectations for the flu vaccine.  Some individuals choose not to get the flu shot because of the evidence that the flu vaccine isn’t 100% effective in preventing the flu. However, if someone receives the flu shot and still gets the flu, the flu shot can reduce the severity of their symptoms and help them stay out of the hospital. A better understanding of this information could help increase people’s willingness to accept the vaccine.

To improve the numbers of Arkansan’s getting the flu vaccine, The Arkansas Immunization Action Coalition (ImmunizeAR) has available for distribution, by downloading and printing from their website, a Flu Prevention Workshop toolkit, “Let’s Talk About the Flu.”  The toolkit provides all the materials needed for a church or a community-based organization to host a one-hour long interactive workshop in plain language. It is designed to help increase flu vaccinations among adults, including older adults. The purpose of the workshop is to help community members learn about the flu in an easy to understand manner, provide information about the flu vaccine, address questions and concerns about the flu vaccine in a supportive environment, and if possible provide the flu vaccine at the end of the workshop with the assistance of a pharmacist. The toolkit is available on the ImmunizeAR website in English and Spanish https://www.immunizear.org/let-s-talk-about-the-flu .

It is important for everyone over the age of six months to get a flu vaccine every year. For older adults and others who are at high-risk of complications, a flu vaccine can reduce hospitalizations by as much as 70 percent and deaths by 85 percent.² It is the best way to protect you and your family.

The CDC recommends getting a flu vaccine before flu begins spreading in the community. It takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies that protect against flu to develop in the body. It is recommended people get a flu vaccine by the end of October. The flu vaccine is available at most pharmacies and physician offices and the Arkansas Department of Health that started their mass flu clinics at the end of September. You can go to this link to find a mass flu clinic in your area: https://www.immunizear.org/news-and-events-1

ImmunizeAR is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving vaccination rates for all Arkansans through education, advocacy, and statewide partnerships. If you would like more information about the flu prevention toolkit or ImmunizeAR, please email heather@immunizear.org.

 

1. FluVaxView 2016-2017 Flu vaccination rates for persons aged 6 months and older. https://www.cdc.gov/flu/fluvaxview/reportshtml/trends/index.html
2. https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/disease/65over.htm

by Robin McAtee, PhD, RN, FACHE, Director, Arkansas Geriatric Education Collaborative at UAMS

The AGEC received news earlier this year that we might receive a 4^th year of funding from HRSA without rewriting for the grant!  We are optimistic as a federal budget has been approved and the GWEPs are still included.  We now patiently await news from HRSA!

While we wait on that, we are busy with programs all over the state! Our health professional programs are consistently reaching over 100 healthcare professionals for each program as we have expanded our coverage with live and webinar formats!  This spring we are exploring the new Shingles vaccine as well as other vaccines for adults.  Please join us on May 8^th from 11-1 in the Rahn Auditorium for that event! We have also worked with our partner in educating direct care workers on reformatting the certified nurse assistant curriculum from 116 hours to 91 hours, thus increasing our capacity and making the program more competitive within many of our diverse communities.   We are also reaching out into the communities in an effort to touch more family caregivers with education; especially surrounding dementia care.  We have had several dementia family care giver workshops this past fall and winter and have many more scheduled this spring!  Other popular programs include activity and fall prevention related programs such as A Matter of Balance, Tai Chi, and Ageless Grace.

For information on any of our programs and our partnered programs, please explore our website!

 

By Gretchen Gibson, DDS, MPH

During this month of celebrating Veteran’s Day, it seemed appropriate to recognize another continued service of our Veterans, beyond their military time. The Million Veteran Program (MVP) is a research program designed to better understand how genes affect health and illness. Data collected as part of the MVP will help enhance disease screening, diagnosis and prognosis for both Veterans and all Americans.
Data collection began in 2011 at various VA hospitals throughout the United States. To date, the MVP has over half a million Veterans who have volunteered and enrolled. Therefore, this is now the world’s largest genomic database, or genetic biorepository. Veterans who volunteer are asked to complete a short questionnaire and donate one vile of blood. This genetic data is linked to their questionnaire and the VA electronic health record to aid in the development of new diagnostic tests, precision or targeted medications, precision therapies and to look at the link of military exposures to genetic susceptibilities to aid in novel approaches to treating these conditions.
Older Veterans are playing a key role in this research. In 2016, Gaziano et al looked at the characteristics of the Veterans who had volunteered thus far. Over 70% of the volunteers were age 60 or over, with a mean age of 64.4 (+13.4) years. An impressive database available to help address many of the chronic issues affecting or older patients.

Currently, there are 15 scientific projects that have been approved to utilize this data for further study. Eight of the ongoing projects include:
• Gulf War Illness risk factors
• Posttraumatic stress disorder risk factors
• Functional disability in schizophrenia and bipolar illness
• Genetic vulnerability of sustained multi-substance use in MVP
• Genetics of cardio-metabolic diseases in the VA population
• Pharmacogenomics of risk factors and therapies outcomes of kidney disease
• Cardiovascular disease risk factors, prevalent cardiovascular disease and genetics in the MVP
• Genetic risk for age-related macular degeneration in diverse Veteran populations

As a dentist in the VA, I have had the privilege to serve America’s Veterans for over 25 years. As the local site investigator for the MVP program at the VA hospital in Fayetteville, AR, I am humbled to see Veterans again stepping up to volunteer their time and information to help improve the health of other Veterans and all Americans. Again, another reason to thank our Veterans.

The Million Veterans Program is accepting volunteers at both the VAs in Fayetteville and Little Rock, Arkansas. If you are a VA-enrolled Veteran, or know a VA-enrolled Veteran who would like to participate, please call the MVP Information Center toll-free at 866-441-6075 for information or to set an appointment at either VA.

References:

Gazianno JM, Concato J, Brophy M. et al. Million Veteran Program: A mega-biobank to study genetic influences on health and disease. J of Clin Epidomiol.2016;70:214-23.

by LaVona Traywick, PhD, University of Central Arkansas and Terry Griffin, PhD, Kansas State University

Society as a whole is aging and there are not enough health care providers in any health related field, including Occupational Therapy, to meet the current or expected needs of the senior adult population (Eldercare Workforce Alliance, 2011). According to the Administration for Community Living (2016), the senior adult population makes up 14.5% of the population in the United States. This number is expected to increase to 21.7% by 2040. Results from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (Ashman, 2015) indicated that senior adults aged 65 and over visited medical offices more than twice the rate than the remaining groups (adults aged 18–64 and children under age 18 years). The current literature shows an increasing need for medical health professionals to work with the aging population.

A study was conducted with the first year, first semester students of the University of Central Arkansas Occupational Therapy graduating class of 2018 to determine their knowledge of aging prior to beginning studies. Once IRB approval was obtained, the modified version of Erdman Palmore’s “Facts on Aging Quiz” (Breytspraak & Badura, 2015) was deployed online via Qualtrics software. Using this convenience sample of 48 students, a 100% response rate was achieved consisting 43 females and five males, with a mean age of 24. Descriptive statistics showed that nine participants want to work in geriatrics, four want to work with adults, 16 want to work in pediatrics, five want to work with all populations, five want to work with special populations (such as spinal cord injuries), and nine were undecided.
The student’s knowledge of aging was poor, average of 33/50 (66%). A variety of analysis methods were applied to the data, but in summary the knowledge about senior adults was poor regardless of the students’ preferred population, year of birth, undergraduate degree, or duration of testing.

There was no significant difference in the test scores for the students who wanted to work in geriatrics as compared to any other population. It was hypothesized that students who desired to work with the senior adult population would have a greater knowledge of aging, but this was not the case. This fact is disconcerting because these students are not understanding the difference between normal aging and the disease process. The data results have brought a heightened awareness to the need to teach aging throughout the entire lifespan, including end-of-life issues.

Additionally, one-third of the entering OT class desires to work with solely pediatric populations. This is of concern due to the increasing need of therapists with the geriatric population. A previous study by Carmel, Cwikel and Galinsky (1992) showed that increasing knowledge alone as indicated by their scores on Palmore’s Facts on Aging Quiz was not enough to change attitudes about aging or the desire to work with the senior adult population. When knowledge of aging is not enough to encourage students to want to work with senior adults, it is even more important for course instructors to create opportunities for students to interact directly with senior adults. As there are limited amount of fieldwork options for students enrolled in therapy programs in general, opportunities for positive interactions with senior adults can be accomplished through Service Learning avenues.

In general, therapy programs in graduate schools are striving to teach as much material as possible in a condensed amount of time to stay competitive. Given no significant difference in test scores based on undergraduate degree, more emphasis needs to be placed in gerontological literacy in undergraduate programs across all disciplines. It could also be argued that prerequisites for incoming therapy students include a basic gerontology or lifespan development course.

In conclusion, the students’ knowledge of aging was less than desired and their intentions to work with senior adults was relatively low compared to other groups. It would be beneficial to the current students as well as the older patients if educators could incorporate more positive senior adult interaction opportunities along with teaching on aging. Future studies should look at other ways besides knowledge gain to change attitudes towards aging. Future studies should also look at the benefit of undergraduate education in gerontology for preparation of health care workers.

References:
1. Administration of Community Living. (2016). Administration on aging. Retrieved from http://www.aoa.acl.gov/Aging_Statistics/index.aspx

2. Ashman, J.; Hing, E.;Talwalkar, A. (2015) Variation in Physician Office Visit Rates by Patient Characteristics and State, 2012: NCHS Data Brief No. 212, September 2015. Retrieved fromhttp://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db212.htm
3. Breytspraak, L. & Badura, L. (2015). Facts on aging quiz (revised; based on Palmore (1977;1981). Retrieved from http://info.umkc.edu/aging/quiz/.

4. Carmel, S; Cwikel, J.; Galinsky, D. (1992) Changes in Knowledge, Attitudes, and Work Preferences Following Coures I Gerontology among Medical, Nursing, and Social Work Students. Educational Gerontology, Vol. 18, Issue 4
Eldercare Workforce Alliance. (2011). Geriatrics workforce shortage: A looming crisis for our families. Retrieved from https://eldercareworkforce.org/research/issue-briefs/research:geriatrics-workforce-shortage-a-looming-crisis-for-our-families

by Shanon Brantley, MCD, CCC-SLP, Arkansas State University

Communication is a complex task. Communication between healthcare professionals and patients often increases this complexity due to reduced or poor health literacy skills of patients. Health literacy refers to “the degree to which individuals can obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services they need to make appropriate health decisions” (Healthy People 2010). Approximately one-third of adult Americans, including nearly 820,000 Arkansans (37 percent) are affected by low health literacy (Bakker, Koffel, Theis-Mahon, 2017 and Coleman, Peterson-Perry, & Bumsted, 2016). Even more staggering is that 70 percent of older adults (65 yrs. and older) in the United States have low health literacy skills (Kobayashi, Wardle, Wolfe & Wagner, 2015 & Chesser, Woods, Smothers, & Rogers, 2017). The impact of low health literacy is associated with increased hospitalizations, increase use of health services, increase in medication errors, reduced compliance with health care instructions, reduced use of preventive health behaviors, increased medical expenses, and an increase in mortality rates (Hadden, 2015, National Network of Libraries of Medicine, Toronto & Weatherford, 2015).

Low health literacy in older adults is often associated with age-related changes, such as a decline in cognitive ability, hearing or vision loss, and factors of socioeconomic status (Chesser et al., 2016). However, the consequences of low health literacy in older adults are particularly crucial due to a need for more frequent health information and services because of their increasingly complicated health issues (Kobayashi et al., 2015). Due to the large population of individuals with low health literacy and its devastating effects, it is essential that healthcare professionals have adequate awareness and understanding of health literacy issues (Atcherson, Zraick, & Hadden, 2013, Coleman, Hudson, & Maine, 2013) to assist patients/clients make good healthcare decisions for themselves (Greenwood, 2017).

Unfortunately, Coleman (2011) reports that healthcare professionals have less than adequate education in the principles of health literacy. To address this issue, educators of health professions should incorporate health literacy into their educational curriculum (Hadden, 2015). However, healthcare professionals who have already “completed their education will need accessible educational programs to ensure they have the skills to identify and educate patients with limited health literacy” (Jukkala, Deupree, & Graham, 2009, p. 301). The critical need for healthcare professionals to play a role in recognizing and addressing low health literacy of their patients/clients is also evident in a statement by the Joint Commission (https://www.jointcommission.org/about_us/history.aspx) which “requires that patients not only receive but also understand information that is relative to their medical condition and care” (DeMarco & Nystrom, 2010, p. 295).

Although the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2010) developed the U. S. National Action Plan to Improve Health Literacy, there are currently no widely accepted guidelines on health literacy education for healthcare professionals (Coleman, Hudson, & Maine, 2013). However, some topics of health literacy that healthcare professionals may focus improvements on include: spoken communication and written communication of healthcare professionals, self-management and empowerment of patients/client, and support systems for healthcare professionals and patients/clients. Each topic is important and should be addressed to improve patients’ and clients’ health literacy. Although there are no well-established guidelines for health literacy education for healthcare professionals, there are several health literacy training opportunities for healthcare providers available online. Two common and free health literacy education resources are provided below.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers a one-hour online continuing education course accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) titled, Health Literacy for Public Health Professionals. This course is free of charge and can be found at the following link: https://www.train.org/cdctrain/course/1057675/.
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) division of U.S. Department of Health & Human Services offers evidence-based health literacy guidance to adult and pediatric practices through the AHRQ Health Literacy Universal Precautions Toolkit, 2nd edition. This toolkit offers 21 tools for improving health literacy, appendices with over 25 additional health literacy resources, and a quick start guide. This guide is available to download at the following link: https://www.ahrq.gov/professionals/quality-patient-safety/quality-resources/tools/literacy-toolkit/index.html

Health literacy can significantly affect the health status of patients and has consequently become a national concern (Hester & Stevens-Ratchford, 2009). In order to provide the best care possible for our growing population, health professionals need an appropriate understanding of key concepts affecting their care such as health literacy. Additional health literacy education and training resources are provided below to assist in improving healthcare professional’s awareness and understanding of low health literacy:

● Center for Health Literacy at University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. http://healthliteracy.uams.edu/
● U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Center for Disease Control and Prevention – National Action Plan to Improve Health Literacy. https://health.gov/communication/hlactionplan/pdf/Health_Literacy_Action_Plan.pdf
● Health Literacy Tool Shed – http://healthliteracy.bu.edu/
● U.S. National Library of Medicine – Health Literacy Information Resources. https://www.nlm.nih.gov/services/queries/health_literacy.html

References:
1. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. (2017). AHRQ health literacy universal precautions toolkit. Retrieved from https://www.ahrq.gov/professionals/quality-patient-safety/quality-resources/tools/literacy-toolkit/index.htmll
2. Atcherson, S., Zraick, R., Hadden, K. (2013). A need for health literacy curriculum: Knowledge of health literacy among US audiologists and speech-language pathologists in Arkansas Education for health, 26(2), p. 85-88.
3. Bakker, C. J., Koffel, J. B., & Theis-Mahon, N. R. (2017). Measuring health literacy of the upper midwest. Journal of the Medical Library Association, 105(1), 34-43.
4. Chesser, A. K., Keene Woods, N., Smothers, K., & Rogers, N. (2016). Health literacy and older adults. Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, 5. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1177/2333721416630492
6. Coleman, C. (2011). Teaching health care professionals about health literacy: A review of the literature. Nursing Outlook, 59(2), 70–78. Retrieved from http://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2010.12.004
7. Coleman, C. A., Hudson, S., & Maine, L. L. (2013). Health literacy practices and educational competencies for health professionals: A consensus study. Journal of Health Communication, 18(sup1), 82–102. Retrieved from http://doi.org/10.1080/10810730.2013.829538
8. Coleman, C. A., Peterson-Perry, S., & Bumsted, T. (2016). Long-term effects of a health literacy curriculum for medical students. Family Medicine, 48(1), 49–53.
9. DeMarco, J., & Nystrom, M. (2010). The importance of health literacy in patient education. Journal of Consumer Health on the Internet, 14(3), 294–301. Retrieved from http://doi.org/10.1080/15398285.2010.502021
10. Greenwood, M. (2017). Arkansas Blue Cross launches health literacy campaign. Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield. Retrieved from https://www.bcbs.com/news/press-releases/arkansas-blue-cross-launches-health-literacy-campaign
11. Hadden, K. B. (2015). Health literacy training for health professions students. Patient Education and Counseling, 898(7), 918-920.
12. Jukkala, A., Deupree, J. P., & Graham, S. (2009). Knowledge of limited health literacy at an academic health center. Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 40(7), 298-302-304, 336. http://doi.org/10.3928/00220124-20090623-01
13. Kobayashi, L. C., Wardle, J., Wolf, M. S., & von Wagner, C. (2015). Cognitive function and health literacy decline in a cohort of aging English adults. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 30(7), 958–964. Retrieved from http://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-015-3206-9
14. Toronto, C. E., & Weatherford, B. (2015). Health literacy education in health professions schools: An integrative review. Journal of Nursing Education, 54(12), 669–676. Retrieved from http://doi.org/10.3928/01484834-20151110-02
15. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. (2010). National action plan to improve health literacy. Washington, DC: Author.