Debra Dobbs, PhD, professor and director of the School of Aging Studies, recently took her research to the national stage at the Annual Assembly of Hospice and Palliative Care, presented by the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM) and the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association (HPNA) in San Diego.
Dobbs presented in two formats — a rapid poster podium presentation followed by a poster presentation.
Her research, "An Examination of Staff Self-Efficacy Measurement in the Palliative Care Education in Assisted Living Intervention," addresses a critical gap in end-of-life care for older adults living with dementia in assisted living settings. Advance care planning (ACP) — a necessary first step to honoring care preferences at the end of life — is significantly lacking in this population. A palliative care educational intervention found that only 12% of assisted living residents living with dementia had ACP documentation in their charts at baseline.
The three-day event brought together more than 3,400 colleagues and peers to share research, clinical best practices and practice-related guidance to advance the specialty and improve patient care.