"Long-stay nursing home residents - whose numbers are growing as our population ages - need more attention from both researchers and clinicians," said Regenstrief investigator Greg A. Sachs, M.D., OPTIMISTIC project director and director of the IU School of Medicine's Division of General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics. Dr. Sachs is also a professor of medicine and an IU Center for Aging Research center scientist. "With OPTIMISTIC, we are working with the residents where they live to improve many aspects of their lives including chronic disease management - especially for dementia, which affects more than half of long-stay residents -- as well as to improve the care they receive during the transition process to and from a hospital, when that transfer is necessary."
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Throughout the four-year OPTIMISTIC project, nurses are stationed at the participating nursing facilities to provide direct support to long-stay residents and their families as well as education and training to the staff. OPTIMISTIC nurses lead care management reviews to optimize chronic disease management, reduce unnecessary medications and clarify goals of care.