About Us

Age-Friendly Care, PA is a program of the Penn State Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing and the Tressa Nese and Helen Diskevich Center of Geriatric Nursing Excellence (CGNE). Our goal is to improve the care of older adults in rural Pennsylvania using the Age-Friendly Health Systems Framework.

Pennsylvania is a vast state covering more than 45,000 square miles with a high percentage of older adults living in rural areas. The Center for Rural PA reports that 48 of PA's 67 counties are rural, with 28% of the state's total population residing in rural areas. The total rural PA population is expected to grow 5% by the year 2030, with an increased number of minority individuals and older adults living in these areas.

Project Purpose

Improve the health of older adults in rural medically underserved areas of PA by:

• Enhancing the gerontological training of rural primary care healthcare professionals (HCPs), students (medical and nursing), families, caregivers, and patients.
• Increasing knowledge, expertise and practice skills in implementing and promoting the 4 essential elements of an Age-Friendly Health System (the 4Ms: What Matters, Medication, Mentation [mind], and mobility), and the core competencies for caring for persons living with Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD).

We focus on the power of interdisciplinary and cross-sector teams. We cast a wide net to ensure everyone involved in caring for older adults, and older adults themselves, are represented in the work we do. Together we are developing, implementing, and disseminating tools and best practices to improve the care of older adults and persons living with ADRD in rural and underserved areas of Pennsylvania.