MEDIA CONTACT: Cara C. Perry
772-873-3339 ccarlton@fau.edu
Florida Atlantic University and the Council on Aging of Martin County Partner for Nursing Students' Experience
STUART, FLORIDA (February 10, 2005) - Florida Atlantic University and the Council on Aging of Martin County have partnered for a program designed to give FAU nursing students first-hand experience in the continuum of care for the elderly. The last student visit at the Council on Aging for the Spring 2005 semester will be on Friday, February 11 from 9 a.m. to noon.
The program places ten students earning their bachelor of science degrees in nursing at the Council's Adult Day Club every Friday for four weeks, where they get experience caring for seniors with a variety of issues, including Parkinson's Disease, Alzheimer's and other memory disorders. The nursing students also work with healthy, active seniors on such issues as nutrition, exercise and weight loss.
"These clinical experiences give the nursing students an opportunity to learn about the healthy senior - one who isn't acutely ill," said Susan Norris, R.N., manager of Adult Day Services. "They get to see the big picture."
Dr. Jill Winland-Brown, professor and director of nursing for the FAU Treasure Coast campus, feels that this program is good preparation for the students and beneficial to the seniors. "They work with the elders and co-create an environment that fosters well-being. The students respond to their needs, whether it is physical, emotional, spiritual or just the need to hear their story."
The focus of study in the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing is nurturing the wholeness of persons and environment through caring.
PHOTO OP: FAU nursing students learning first-hand about caring for seniors in a program that provides experience beyond the hospital setting. The students will also be giving Valentines to the seniors on Friday.
WHERE: The Council on Aging of Martin County, Adult Day Club
1071 East 10th Street, Stuart
CONTACT: Cara Carlton Perry, Florida Atlantic University 772-873-3339
Denise Belizar, Write Idea Communications 772-334-5003
Susan Norris, Council on Aging of Martin County, 772-223-7800
COA BOILERPLATE:
The not-for-profit Council on Aging of Martin County provides a comprehensive array of services that help seniors live independently in their own home, including: Geriatric Care Management, Adult Day Care, Meals on Wheels, senior dining centers, companion services, nutrition education and much more. A year-round slate of activities and educational opportunities is available at the Log Cabin Senior Center in Jensen Beach. The Council is the longest standing organization in the county dedicated to serving our senior population. The organization currently serves 3,380 elders annually, or eight percent of Martin County's senior citizens. The Council also operates Community Coach, which provides 150,000 trips annually for 11,000 Martin County seniors, transportation disadvantaged residents and riders of all ages. For more information on adult day care options and other services for seniors, contact the Council at 772-223-7800.
FAU BOILERPLATE:
Florida Atlantic University opened its doors in 1964 as the fifth public university in Florida. Today, the university serves 26,000 undergraduate and graduate students on seven campuses strategically located along 150 miles of Florida's southeastern coastline. Building on its rich tradition as a teaching university, with a world-class faculty, FAU hosts eight colleges - the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts & Letters, the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing, the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, and the Colleges of Business, Education, Engineering, and Architecture, Urban & Public Affairs. The University is observing its 40th anniversary this year.
