Community Based Care Research Group

Research interests of group members focus on formal and family home care, and on the implications of unmet service need for quality of life and patterns of service use in disabled populations. Currently, Dr. Allen and Ms. Lima are conducting analyses of the Longitudinal Study on Aging II with funding from the National Institute on Aging (NIA) to link respondent report of unmet need for assistance with daily living activities to subsequent adverse outcomes, including avoidable hospitalizations and ED use. In addition, Drs. Allen and Resnik have recently completed a pilot study as part of the federally funded Pathways to Recovery from Combat Initiative, which explored the unmet need for health services in newly injured combat veterans.

Drs. Allen and Resnik are also interested in the role of assistive technology and environmental modifications in promoting independence for people with mobility impairments. They are presently collaborating on Dr. Resnik's NIA- funded study to understand cultural influences on attitudes towards use of mobility equipment. In addition, Drs. Allen and Intrator recently submitted a grant to investigate the influence of the family caregiver on quality of care once care has been transferred from the home to the nursing home setting. All projects conducted by this group are intended to influence policy regarding access to supportive services and assistive technology that have the potential to facilitate chronic condition management, forestall functional decline, improve quality of life and enhance autonomy and independence for vulnerable populations of adults with disabilities and chronic health conditions.