April 2016

Blazing a Trail to Better Care for Older Adults

May is Older Americans Month and, this year in particular, we have much to celebrate, writes Terry Fulmer, PhD, RN, FAAN, president of The John A. Hartford Foundation. The Older Americans Act has been reauthorized, and that’s great news for millions of older adults. Dr. Fulmer discusses why the law is so vitally important, and how the Foundation’s investments support community-based social services and supports and family caregivers. Read more.

“Conversation Stopper” Poll Sparks Conversation on Advance Care Planning

A new national poll of primary care and specialist physicians, supported by The John A. Hartford Foundation, the California Health Care Foundation, and Cambia Foundation, provides valuable insight into how doctors truly feel about holding end-of-life and advance care conversations with patients.

Visit our special web page on the poll, “Conversation Stopper: What’s Preventing Physicians from Talking with Patients About End-of-Life and Advance Care Planning?” There, you will find links to JAHF President Terry Fulmer’s Health AGEnda blog post on the poll’s findings, as well as resources including the topline poll results, poll memo, press release, webinar slides, and wide-ranging media coverage including the Boston Globe, Forbes, Reuters, The Atlantic, and many other national and international outlets.

JAHF Change AGEnts Issue Briefs Tackle Topics to Improve Care of Older Adults

Read the three latest John A. Hartford Foundation Change AGEnts Issue Briefs on Institutional Long-Term Care, Acute Care, and Primary Care. The issue briefs summarize the deliberations of working groups that met at The John A. Hartford Foundation Change AGEnts conference in December and should inform future work to create widespread and systemic changes in the care of older adults.

On Health AGEnda

In her inaugural Health AGEnda post, Rani Snyder, MPA, shares the career journey that led from her first position at The John A. Hartford Foundation 24 years ago back home to the Foundation as Program Director.

As we welcome back Rani Snyder, Rachael Watman bids us farewell with a final post sharing three maxims she learned during her 13 years at the Foundation. (Spoiler: The lessons involve a cow skull and airport security.)

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For more on what's happening in aging and health, visit our News and Events sections on jhartfound.org.