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Living After Losssm Program
Living
After Loss is both a program and a research study designed to help improve
the quality of daily life of recently widowed men and women over the age of
50. Losing a spouse can impact nearly
every aspect of one’s life and usually requires emotional, social, physical,
spiritual and other kinds of adjustments.
We have found that many widows and widowers appear to adjust much better
if they learn new skills and receive support through sharing experiences with
others. Living After Loss is a
free program that has been developed from over 25 years of research by faculty
at the University of Utah, San Francisco State University and work done by
others throughout the U.S. and other countries. We have learned a great deal about how to help people through
their grief and be better prepared to manage many of the long-term adjustments
that follow. The Program is not only for those who feel they are
having the most difficulty, as the sharing and learning environment applies to
everyone. Because we are offering this
Program as part of a larger research study (funded by the National Institute on
Aging) we are inviting recently widowed persons who we identify through
official State Health Services records. Participants in the Program will also
have the added satisfaction of knowing that they are contributing to a study
that has national and international importance and will benefit many others in
the future. In appreciation, each widowed participant will receive $25 each time
they complete one of the four scheduled questionnaires during the study.
Some Specifics About the Program
·
Recently widowed persons living in San Francisco and Salt Lake City will participate in the Living
After Loss Program during 2005-2009.
Each person will be asked to attend 14 weekly sessions that last about
90 minutes each. Before the sessions
begin, each person will complete a questionnaire, sign a consent form and then
complete 3 additional questionnaires after the 14 sessions end.
·
The 14 sessions will be led by professionals trained by the
project faculty and staff. The sessions
will provide opportunities to share experiences, learn new helpful skills and
ideas, receive support from others, meet new interesting people, and benefit
from knowing that we are learning from you as well.
·
Participants from all racial, ethnic and religious backgrounds
are encouraged to participate and all meetings will be conducted with cultural
sensitivity, respect for individual differences and confidentiality.
·
The weekly meetings will be held at local senior centers,
libraries or other convenient and safe public locations. Assistance with arranging transportation
will be provided if needed.
·
Valuable printed materials will be provided free to all participants.
What Participants from Our Past Programs Have Said
Others have said the following about
their participation in our past programs.
·
Helped me to learn that life is different but it is still good
and that I can be happy.
·
It was nice to meet other widows and widowers who had much in
common and we learned from each other.
·
It gave me the self-confidence to cope with all the problems of
being alone.
·
It gave me hope for the future and in myself and ways to set
goals and encouragement to follow through with them.
·
I am more eager to make new friends and enjoy fun and relaxation
and make positive contributions to others and society.
·
Found helpful ideas in managing my household and understanding
self.
·
I am definitely more assertive.
·
I learned something from every class.
·
I’m doing things that I never thought I could do.
·
I desperately needed contact with people outside my family and
the empathy of others in similar circumstances. Thank you.
·
I had a great need for help in coping with grief and you
supplied the tools to help me survive.
Program Staff
The Living After Loss Program is funded by a grant from the
National Institute on Aging to find the most effective ways to help recently
widowed people age 50+ to cope with the many difficulties associated with grief
and long-term adjustments. Faculty at
the University of Utah Center on Aging and San Francisco State University
Gerontology Program are working together on this project so participants will
be limited to Salt Lake City and San Francisco. The research team includes the Principal Investigator, Dr.
Michael Caserta (U of U), the Co-Investigators, Dr. Dale Lund, (U of U) and Dr.
Brian deVries (SFSU), the Project Site Directors, Dr. Scott Wright (U of U) and
Dr. Sodonia Wilson (SFSU), Associate Site Director, Sarah Jane Obray (U of U),
Grief Specialist, Shirley Rossa (U of U) and Statistician, Dr. William Dudley
(U of U). The research consultants are;
Dr. Judith Hays (Duke U.), Dr. Bert Hayslip (U. of North Texas) and Dr. Marilyn
Skaff (UC-San Francisco).
Program funded by
National Institute on Aging
Grant # R01 AG023090
Contact Us
University of Utah
Center on Aging
10 South 2000 East
Salt Lake City, UT 84112
(801) 581-7954
livingafterloss@nurs.utah.edu
San Francisco State University
Gerontology Program
1600 Holloway Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94132
(415) 405-7582
For further
information on the Living After Losssm Program visit us online at
www.livingafterloss.edu
Geriatric Care Management Training and
Education Emphasis at SFSU
San Francisco State
University was awarded a major grant to establish a formal emphasis in
Geriatric Care Management within the Graduate Program.
The
California Wellness Foundation (TCWF) has awarded the Graduate Gerontology
Program located within the College of Health and Human Services at SFSU a three
year grant (extended) to develop a formal emphasis in Geriatric Care
Management. The Foundation was created in 1992 as a independent private
foundation. TCWF’s mission is to improve the health of the people of California
by making grants for health promotion, wellness education and disease
prevention programs. This is the only program if its kind in California. This
curricular emphasis will from a foundation for basic standards in Geriatric
Care Management within a Master of Arts Degree in Gerontology. It will prepare
students for national certification. In addition, the grant includes several
half time tuition scholarships for students.
Currently,
the GCM emphasis is a formal component of the Gerontology Graduate Program and
two specialized GCM courses are being offered. In addition to the other Masters
Degree courses, students complete the GRN 750 Geriatric/Home Care Management
and GRN 838 838 GCM Internship and Seminar. Students also complete the GRN 890
Culminating Experience course focusing on a special topic or conducting
research in GCM issues.
The
GRN 750 course is taught by the national expert and author of the Handbook of Geriatric Care Management,
Ms. Cathy Cress, MSW.
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