NSU Horizons Spring 2012

H 5 HORIZONS ere are some statistics that may surprise you. The number of people age 65 or over will double in the next 30 years, from today’s 40 million to 80 million. By 2030, one of every ve people in the United States will be age 65 or older. By the year 2032, just two decades from now, there will be more people over the age of 65 than children under 15. This will be the rst time in history there will be more senior adults than children. The implications of these astounding statistics will affect every aspect of society, agree geriatric specialists at Nova South- eastern University. Health professionals speci cally trained in caring for an elderly population are already in demand as resources for older adults continue to increase. From continuing education to geriatric specialty centers on campus that service the community, plus cross-disciplinary training for students in its Health Professions Division, NSU has several programs in place speci c to geriatrics. With new programs and services, its commitment to this segment of the population is squarely focused on meeting the needs of the growing demand. “NSU is training professionals and students in critical areas before the need becomes urgent,” said Cecilia Rokusek, Ed.D., M.S., R.D., executive director for education, planning, and research for the College of Osteopathic Medicine (COM) at NSU and executive director of NSU’s Florida Coastal Geriatric Resources, Education, and Training Center. The training, she emphasized, is cross-disciplinary. At the Sanford L. Ziff Health Care Center Rehabilitation Clinic, an interdisci- plinary, fall-prevention team works with older adults to provide free evaluations for those who are at risk due to balance problems. “It’s a more holistic way of working with an older patient, and our students see what it’s like to be part of a multidisciplinary team,” said Michelle Gagnon-Blodgett, Psy.D., a geropsychologist with the Depart- ment of Geriatrics at NSU’s College of Osteopathic Medicine. The multiple-discipline assessment for balance and fall risk factors includes experts in audiology, occupational therapy, optometry, pharmacy, physical therapy, psychology, and geriatric medicine. The ultimate outcome is a no-cost, complete report that patients are encouraged to share with their primary care physician at NSU and other health care providers. “Students learn a lot in this setting, such as how one discipline communicates with an older client,” said Gagnon-Blodgett. “A pharmacy student may see how a psycho- logical intake is conducted, while the psychology student sees how a pharmacist interacts with a patient.” N S U ’ S L E A D I N G - E D G E P R O G R A M S F O C U S O N A N A G I N G P O P U L A T I O N BY MICHELLE F. SOLOMON Seniors