Aging Well

Extensive research has shown that good lifestyle habits are an effective strategy for successful aging. OHSU brings interprofessional research partners together to discover innovative ways for people to stay healthy and engaged and maintain their independence. Corey Nagel, featured below, is now a graduate of the OHSU SON PhD program and is currently conducting research on social and environmental impacts on the health of older adults.

Chronic Disease Management

Many of the diseases that afflict Americans today appear only as we age or become more severe as we reach our later years. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that 70% of American deaths are a direct result of chronic diseases. Older adults with chronic conditions have needs that are often complex. In order to provide optimal chronic care for elders, collaborations of researchers and practitioners, individuals and communities, are working to develop methods to prevent and manage chronic disease.

“Findings from my past, current, and planned research will lead seamlessly to the development of a new breed of interventions in heart failure that are tailored to observed bio-behavioral profiles.”
-Christopher Lee, Ph.D., R.N.

End-of-life & Palliative Care

Research to advance the science of care for people facing the end-of-life transition seeks to provide solutions that contribute efficient, valid, and reliable outcomes in institutional and community-based settings.

“The goal of my research is to develop cost effective interventions to improve end of life and palliative care provided to adults and older adults and their families across health care settings.” -Lissi Hansen, PhD., R.N.

Dementia

More than half of Americans over the age of 85 develop problems with cognitive impairment or memory. Early detection, intervention and prevention are the motivating forces that drive clinically focused dementia research. However, addressing the challenges of caregiving will also become a critical task for future researchers.