Sarah L. Szanton, PhD, ANP, FAAN, Johns Hopkins School of Nursing professor, has been awarded the 2016 Senior Service American Senior Scholar Award for Research Related to Disadvantaged Older Adults, given by the Gerontological Society of America (GSA) and Senior Service America, Inc.
Szanton was selected for her presentation and paper, “Food Assistance Reduces Nursing Home Admissions for Maryland’s Dually Eligible Older Adults.” The award acknowledges presentations at the GSA Annual Scientific Meeting that “represent exemplary basic or applied research related to the capabilities, contributions, challenges, and concerns of disadvantaged older adults, especially those who are low-income and minority group members.”
“There are so many factors outside of diagnosable diseases that impact the health of older adults,” says Szanton. “As this population grows, it’s imperative that we look at strategies and solutions that not only improve health, but also address environmental influencers and save health care dollars. I am honored to have been recognized by the GSA through an award that shows there are many complexities and determinants to improving the health of older adults.”
Through the Community Aging in Place—Advancing Better Living for Elders (CAPABLE) program and other research, Szanton studies the role of the environment in health care and health disparities in older adults. CAPABLE combines home visits from a nurse, occupational therapist, and handyman, and aims to help older adults age in place while improving health outcomes. Recently published results show the program helps decrease disability, depression, and improve self care for participants.
Szanton has also received funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to study how food and energy assistance can improve the health outcomes of low-income older adults. She is a GSA fellow, American Academy of Nursing Emerging Edgerunner, and was most recently named a top “Influencer in Aging” by Next Avenue.
Szanton received her award at the GSA’s annual scientific meeting, November 16-20.
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Located in Baltimore, the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing is a globally-recognized leader in nursing education, research and practice and ranks #1 nationally among graduate schools of nursing and #2 for DNP programs, according to U.S. News & World Report. In addition, the school is ranked by QS World University as the No. 2 nursing school in the world and is named the “Most Innovative Nursing Graduate Program in the U.S” by Best Master of Science in Nursing Degrees. The school is among the top nursing schools for Federal Research Grants and National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding. For more information, visit www.nursing.jhu.edu.
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