MU Sinclair School of Nursing

Interdisciplinary Projects

Receive Top Honors from the

American Academy of Nursing

May 12, 2008

COLUMBIA , Mo. – The American Academy of Nursing (AAN) annually selects research/projects that highlight major innovations in the field of nursing and improve the health care profession overall. Last month, two MU Sinclair School of Nursing interdisciplinary projects, TigerPlace and Aging-In-Place, received the AAN's Edge Runner awards and they are now being used as national examples.

“TigerPlace is a new model of care for older adults and with four years experience we can show it's working,” said Marilyn Rantz, executive director of the aging-in-place project at the School. “Americare and the School are providing the type of care that older adults want – independence with proactive health care. Seniors don't want to be in a traditional nursing home setting.”

Americare Systems Inc. and the School entered into a unique partnership four years ago when they built a state approved facility that allows older adults to stay in their apartment even as their health needs change. Research has proven that as seniors move through the traditional stages of senior housing, assisted living and nursing home environments their physical and mental health decreases at an accelerated rate.

TigerPlace and the Aging-In-Place project are designed to keep residents in their own apartments, with their partners and pets, while bringing increased health care to individuals when they need it. This facility and its residents are also providing valuable data for researchers in both nursing and engineering.

These researchers are using new technology for early disease recognition. “With this data we are able to intervene and improve individual outcomes,” Rantz said. “This early prevention could potentially save the health care industry billions of dollars.”

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