Nursing students and faculty from the University of Nebraska Medical
Center College of Nursing Lincoln Division have opened a free clinic in
Lincoln that provides health promotion services for older adults and experience
for nursing students in a community setting. Services are targeted toward
older adults with limited incomes, but is open to any older adult.
On Monday, Nov. 15, a ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held at 11 a.m.
at the Downtown Senior Center, 1005 O Street, to celebrate the opening
of the Senior Nursing Clinic. The clinic will provide free health screening,
education and make referrals to health professionals when needed, every
week on Thursdays from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., in the lower level of the
Downtown Senior Center.
The clinic consists of two exam rooms and an educational room and will
be staffed by UNMC nursing students in their senior year, as well as UNMC
nursing faculty members. The goal of the screenings and education services
is to keep people healthy.
The clinic will be managed by nursing faculty, Barbara McCabe, Ph.D.,
associate professor of gerontological nursing, and Linda Sather, Ed.D.,
assistant professor of community health nursing. It will provide students
with an opportunity to develop insight and sensitivity to the health care
needs of independent living older adults, Dr. McCabe said.
My dream is that by providing care to independent living older adults
in this clinic, the students will gain an appreciation for the strength
and endurance of older individuals, she said. A health care clinic for
older people will allow students to develop an image of aging that can
dispel the notion that aging is synonymous with illness.
A goal of the clinic is to help older adults stay healthy, so they can
live in their own home as long as possible, Dr. Sather said.
We want to make sure they are seeing health professionals and accessing
other resources when they need to. They should also be getting proper nutrition
and be taking care of their personal hygiene.
Services available will include assessing the health of the client,
health education, consultation and referral. Screening services will include
blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose screenings.
Nurses also will provide foot care, fill insulin syringes for those
with diabetes, answer questions about medications and monitor medication
side effects. Clients are asked to bring their medications with them. No
appointments are necessary.
Free medication organizers will be provided to help people organize
their medications. Each month, the educational center will focus on a health
topic of concern to older adults.
The last census of Lancaster County indicated about 14 percent of the
population was age 60 and over and 7 percent had incomes below the poverty
level. This number is increasing due to the increasingly aging population,
further causing social and economic costs to the community. Over 2,200
older adults were served by the Downtown Senior Center in fiscal year 1997,
said Dr. McCabe.
The clinic not only will provide a needed service, but also gives students
valuable experience using their skills and working in the community.
These students are skilled and highly intelligent, Dr. Sather said.
They have the experience required to make this clinic work. Its a great
thing for the students and our older adults being served.
She said the experience will build on the students thinking and decision-making
skills. Nursing faculty will always be there to answer questions and help.
The clinic also will provide an opportunity for faculty to be involved
in clinical practice while teaching.
Leslie Lee Haeffner, senior nursing student, said the clinic not only
broadens a students clinical experience, it also develops management skills
and interpersonal skills with older adults.
It is an excellent hands-on experience for us that includes principles
from gerontology, community health nursing, and psychology, said Haeffner.
We are very fortunate to have been given this opportunity.
Reba Schafer, director of the Lincoln Area Agency on Aging, said the
clinic is a 10-year dream come true. The agency plans, coordinates services
and advocates for older adults in an eight-county area. The Downtown Senior
Center is part of the agency and provides services at its location such
as meals, transportation, health and wellness and cultural events.
Were very excited about this, Schafer said. Through this service,
it will be easier for older adults to get health screening services in
a comfortable setting.
Start-up support for the Senior Nursing Center has been provided by
UNMC and the Lincoln Area Agency on Aging. Pratt Division of Pfizer Pharmaceuticals,
Inc., in Lincoln, has donated medication organizers, gloves and educational
materials. Other donations were made by Acton LTD. Faculty will apply for
grants and other resources to support the clinic. Anyone who would like
to donate should call (402) 472-3656.
The UNMC College of Nursing is the largest nursing school in the state
with a total of more than 700 students at its Omaha, Lincoln, Kearney and
Scottsbluff campuses. It is the only nursing school in the state to offer
undergraduate, master’s and doctoral degrees.
UNMC is the only public academic health science center in the state.
Through its commitment to research, education, outreach and patient care,
UNMC has established itself as one of the country’s leading centers for
cancer research and treatment and solid organ transplantation. Nearly $31
million in research grants and contracts were awarded to UNMC scientists
during the past fiscal year. In addition, UNMCs educational programs are
responsible for training more health professionals practicing in Nebraska
than any other institution.