The Evidence-Based Practices (EBP) developed and maintained by the Csomay Center at the College of Nursing enhance our reputation as a leader in older adult care, practice, and scholarship.  When evidence-based approaches are integrated into daily workflow and care activities, nurses and interprofessional care team members achieve better outcomes for older people and care settings alike.

To review topics and/or purchase an EBP, please visit: UIowaCsomayGeroResources.com.

The Geriatric Mental Health Training Series (GMHTS) was developed and evaluated in the era of Nursing Home Reform that focused on reducing chemical (antipsychotic) and physical restraint of nursing home residents.  Each training module is designed to help staff be more knowledgeable about the causes of "problem behaviors" and about techniques to provide person-centered care. 

Dr. Kathleen C. Buckwalter, Director of the Hartford Center from 2006 to 2010, and Dr. Marianne Smith, current Director of the Csomay Center, led the project.  The GMHTS was awarded Book of the Year by the American Journal of Nursing in 1993, was honored with the Best Practice Award from the National Institute on Human Resources and Aging in 1994, and received Sigma Theta Tau's Regional Research Dissemination Award in 1994 and their International Research Dissemination Award in 1995.

Since its publication in 1989, the GMHTS has been updated, revised, adapted and maintained as a free, online training resource.  Periodic reviews have assured the relevance and accuracy of training content based on research and clinical best practices.  Because the last review was conducted in 2005 we encourage users to compare the content to current state of science on the topic.  However, we believe all topics continue to be relevant to training LTC staff about dementia-related care challenges and other causes of “problematic” behaviors among nursing home residents.

As part of the revision and updating process we created PowerPoint versions that offer an electronic alternative to the original paper and 35 mm slide versions. The lecturer’s “script” is provided in Notes view, and slides can be printed in Handout view.  Additional supportive materials, including handouts referenced in the slides, are available on request.

• Whose Problem Is It? Mental Health and Illness in Long-term Care Centers
• Getting the Facts: Effective Communication with Elders
• When You Are More Than Just "Down in the Dumps": Depression in Older Adults
• When You Forget That You Forgot: Recognizing and Managing Alzheimer's Type Dementia, Part I
• When You Forget That You Forgot: Recognizing and Managing Alzheimer's Type Dementia, Part II
• Back to the A-B-C's: Understanding & Responding to Behavioral Symptoms in Dementia

Copyright and Use

Permission is granted for individuals to print, copy and otherwise reproduce these materials in an unaltered form for use as personal development activities, in-service education programs, and other continuing education programs for which no fees are charged.

Use of these materials for personal profit is prohibited.  Credit should be given to the Barbara and Richard Csomay Center of Gerontological Excellence, College of Nursing, University of Iowa. Questions may be directed to Dr. Marianne Smith.

The Geriatric Pain website was initially created to provide nurses, long-term care staff, and informal caregivers with access to free evidence-based pain assessment and management tools and resources.  The website was developed by representatives from five John A. Hartford Centers of Geriatric Nursing Excellence (Iowa, Oregon, Arkansas, California, and Pennsylvania) and was hosted by Sigma Theta Tau International until 2017.  The website is now supported by the Csomay Center where ongoing efforts continue to assure easy access to current geriatric pain resources. In 2017, funds from the Marilynn H Bowers Dementia Education and Research Fund supported the development of the new section for caregivers and strategies to increase the dissemination of best practices. 

For more information, visit the site or contact Dr. Keela Herr.

Care of Older Adults for Optimal Quality of Life: Nursing Diagnoses, Outcomes, and Interventions is a textbook designed for upper division undergraduate nursing students, graduate students, nurse clinicians, nurse educators, and nurse scientists.  Each chapter addresses a National Association of Nursing Diagnoses-International (NANDA-I) nursing diagnosis that is relevant to older adult care with information about the prevalence, significance for quality of life, related factors, and defining characteristics of NANDA diagnosis.  Chapters each highlight:

• Targeted Nursing Outcomes Classification (NOC) outcomes and Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC) interventions;
• Case studies illustrate the diagnosis, outcomes, interventions, and monitoring outcomes over time;
• Assessment data and tools to identify a diagnosis;
• Linkages between nursing and medical diagnoses to advantage advanced practice nurses’ documentation of nursing care for reimbursement;
• Research evidence supporting nursing interventions for each diagnosis and achievement of desired outcomes.

Care of Older Adults for Optimal Quality of Life: Nursing Diagnoses, Outcomes, and Interventions is now available at https://www.uiowacsomaygeroresources.com/.

The Jo Hoyt Freeman Dementia Education and Outreach Fund supported the development of this 12-part training series on staff-family partnerships to improve dementia care.  The training program is based on The Family Involvement in Care (FIC) for Persons with Dementia Evidence-Based Guideline ©, and includes modules that directly support staff education to use the FIC intervention in practice, along with content that extends FIC ideas by including three modules about person-centered care, and two modules about changing goals of care over the course of dementia.

The brief, easy-to-use, online training modules were developed using feedback from diverse long-term care providers to best assure relevance of the content and feasibility of use in community-based dementia-related settings. See the study description here.  In addition to the 12 training modules listed here, an Instructors Manual is available to help users tailor the training series to best fit the need and goals of the care setting and individual users.

We also offer free copies of the book, Jo’s Story, which inspired the Jo Hoyt Freeman Fund and development of the training series.  We highly recommend the complimentary family-focused FIC training that is provided by the Iowa Geriatric Education Center.  If you have any questions or comments about the use of the Partners to Improve Care training, please contact Dr. Marianne Smith.

12 Training Modules of Partnerships to Improve Care and Quality of Life for Persons with Dementia

Copyright and Use

Permission is granted for individuals to print, copy and otherwise reproduce these materials in an unaltered form for use as personal development activities, in-service education programs, and other continuing education programs for which no fees are charged.

Use of these materials for personal profit is prohibited.  Credit should be given to the Jo Hoyt Freeman Dementia Education and Outreach Fund, Barbara and Richard Csomay Center of Gerontological Excellence, College of Nursing, University of Iowa.  Questions may be directed to Dr. Marianne Smith.