March 2017

Kimberly Van Haitsma, PhD, is associate professor of nursing; director of the Program for Person-Centered Living Systems of Care; and senior research scientist for the Polisher Research Institute, Madlyn and Leonard Abramson Center for Jewish Life.

Dr. Van Haitsma, a clinical geropsychologist and applied researcher, focuses on questions seeking to understand the impact of contextual issues (physical environment, culture of care, staff interactions, interdisciplinary team processes, and psychotherapeutic approaches) on holistic aspects of quality of life and person-centered care provided to seniors residing in long-term care settings.

As a co-investigator, she was recently awarded a grant from the Ohio Department of Aging titled “Incorporating the Preferences for Everyday Living Inventory (PELI) into Ohio’s Nursing Homes to Improve Resident Care.” The goal of this project is to promote the adoption of preference assessment for nursing home residents through education/training and sustainability through quality improvement strategies. The project has three primary specific aims: 1) guide providers on ways to integrate the PELI assessment into daily operational practices in 960 Ohio nursing homes; 2) provide education/training for providers about using the PELI data to inform care; and 3) evaluate the barriers to preference-based, person-centered care implementation and provide solutions for long-term sustainability. This project will develop a mobile responsive website titled “Care Preference Assessment of Satisfaction” (ComPASS), which will enable nursing home providers to track their residents’ satisfaction with how their preferences for everyday living are being taken into consideration. Another website, preferencebasedliving.com, will host resources for providers as well as research-related information for those interested in person-centered care.

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