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DPHS
GERONTOLOGY RESEARCH AND SERVICE
Dr. Cheryl Dye, Associate
Professor in the DPHS, has been very involved
in research and service in gerontology since 2001. In May of that year,
she was elected Chair of the SC
Center for Gerontology (SCCG) Policy Board with membership including
USC, MUSC,
Coastal Carolina University, SC
State University, Lander University,
and Winthrop University. In May
of 2002, Dr. Dye suggested to the Board
that the membership be expanded to include aging agencies and centers.
The Board agreed and membership grew to include the Lt.
Governor’s Office on Aging, DHEC,
SC Geriatric Education Center,
MUSC Center on Aging, and AARP.
These representatives and others, including the SC
Resource Center on Minority Aging and the USC
School of Medicine, have presented their agency activities to the
SCCG,
which has resulted in increased collaborations.
Dr. Dye presented
an idea for a state-wide Summit on Aging to the SCCG
Board in September, 2003 because she felt the state needed to develop
more creative strategies to “meet growing elder needs with fewer
resources.” The Board accepted the idea and Dr.
Dye raised $6000 in grant funding which was supplemented by funds
from the SC Geriatric Education Center,
AHEC and the MUSC
Center on Aging. The inaugural Summit on Aging was a success with
over 160 aging professionals from across the state in attendance. Dr.
Dye and two colleagues wrote a white paper summarizing the issues
raised at the Summit. Because of urging from Summit attendees and the
Lt. Governor’s Office on Aging,
the SCCG
has committed to hosting another Summit in November 2005.
Dr. Dye was appointed
to the Coalition for Successful Aging, an advisory grouop for the Lt.
Governor’s Office on Aging, in the fall of 2004 and was invited
to be a speaker at the SC Aging in Place Coalition Conference in November
2004. She was also invited to be an expert presenter at the SC White House
Conference on Aging held in April 2005.
During the same time period of these state-level
activities, Dr. Dye has been involved in
elevating the status of gerontology research at Clemson
University. She and other HEHD
gerontology researchers began meeting in the Fall of 2001 when they decided
upon a research agenda of promoting “aging in place.” In the
fall of 2003, a university-wide gerontology research team was formed to
fit within the Family and Community Living niche area. Dr.
Dye and Dr. Fran McGuire
became co-chairs of the University team. In February 2004, Dr.
Dye led the team in submitting the proposal, “Improving Functional
Independence of Rural, Older Adults,” to the National Institutes
of Health ($1,199,364). The goal of the proposal was to develop a model
that would enable older adults to age in place in rural communities that
would position CU to establish a Center
for Rural Aging. The model featured the use of lay educators to provide
educational programs and to make referrals to health and social services.
Although the proposal was not funded, the proposal received positive comments
and the project officer for the RFA emailed Dr.
Dye about the “enormous” number of applications and encouraged
continued work in the area.
During the fall of 2004, representatives from DHEC
and the Lt. Governor met with the CU Gerontology
Research Team to develop strategies for collaboration. In the spring of
2005, representatives of the Healthy Aging Research Consortium at USC
also met with the CU researchers for the
same purpose.
In October 2004, Dr.
Dye submitted a proposal to the College
of HEHD Internal Research and Creative Activity Grant Program, to
fund a symposium, “Aging in Place in South Carolina: Challenges
and Solutions.” It was funded and through significant efforts from
the majority of the research team members, a successful symposium was
held on May 10, 2005. One hundred and twelve professionals from across
the state registered for the symposium, which featured national experts
on aging in place. Due to the enthusiasm and positive evaluations from
the symposium participants, the research team plans to make this symposium
a yearly event.
Link
to original HEHDLines newsletter (Summer 2005)
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- Alumnus Realizes Her Dream
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