Our faculty’s research in gerontology examines multiple issues facing older adults.
Faculty are exploring issues of health and aging, end-of-life issues and patients’ autonomy in health care settings, the need for supportive services for Alzheimer's patients and their caregivers, and the potential caregiving relationship that exists between grandparents and grandchildren residing within grandparent-headed households.
In collaboration with partners from the local, state, and national levels, three faculty members will introduce nursing facilities across Virginia to the MUSIC & MEMORY® program and provide training for caregivers. As they help implement the program, they will also evaluate its effectiveness and work to further expand and sustain the initiative. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is providing a three-year $567,100 grant to fund the expansion, which will allow Drs. Megumi Inoue, Emily Ihara, and Cathy Tompkins to bring the MUSIC & MEMORY® program to nursing facilities from each of the six Division of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) areas in Virginia. The Mason Music and Memory Initiative (M3I) aims to provide Virginia nursing facilities with a personalized music intervention that is based on scientific evidence and does not involve medications. More information on the M3I project can be found in the news archives.
