The California State University Institute for Palliative Care’s National Symposium for Academic Palliative Care Education and Research is scheduled to take place October 11-12 at the Hyatt Regency Mission Bay in San Diego.

During the symposium, researchers will discuss the results of six projects aimed at expanding access to care that enhances quality of life for seniors and caregivers.

The researchers were awarded seed grants, funded by the Gary and Mary West Foundation, to carry out 1-year projects to design and test approaches that will lead to improvements in care or quality of life for those suffering from chronic, serious, or life-threatening illnesses, according to a media release from CSU Institute for Palliative Care.

Institutions represented, and studies being reported on, include:

  • Washington University in St. Louis’s Brian Carpenter, PhD, undertook a project to create a palliative care educational program for adults that includes a discussion and framework for advance care planning.
  • University of California Los Angeles’ Thanh Neville, MD, MSHS, and her team created, tested and implemented an intervention for older ICU patients to articulate three wishes, and then achieve them with the help of the staff.
  • University of South Carolina’s Ronit Elk, PhD built training for culturally-based effective communication skills for physicians who work with rural African American patients with life-limiting illness.
  • University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus’ F. Amos Bailey, MD, FAAHPM, incorporated the use of technology in online graduate education to help students practice skills for difficult conversations with patients and families.
  • California State University Long Beach’s Joy Goebel, RN, MN, PhD, FPCN, created and delivered education to members of the Long Beach area Latino community on chronic disease, understanding medications, and getting the most out of their doctor and their life.
  • San Francisco State University’s Wendell Hanna, PhD, created a music and exercise program for bedridden, wheelchair, and ambulatory seniors in hospice to ease pain and improve joint motion.

Applications are now open for this year’s awards, the release continues. Grants of $5,000 or $10,000 will be awarded to researchers from academic institutions for projects that aim to support seniors or family caregivers. Recipients will be announced at the 2018 Symposium.

For more information on the seed grants, eligibility, and how to apply, visit CSU Institute for Palliative Care.

[Source(s): CSU Institute for Palliative Care, PR Newswire]