October 1, 2008

$1.1 million gift for seniors health care

L-R: Chancellor Joanne Cuthbertson, Dr. Barrie Strafford, Dianne Tapp, interim dean of nursing, and Sandi Hirst who will be the director of the centre. / Photo by Diane Laflamme-McCauley

A unique partnership in nursing care for seniors, which is the first of its kind in Canada, is set to enhance the quality of life for older adults living in long-term care facilities and draw more students into the field of gerontological nursing.

The University of Calgary will announce today the creation of The Brenda Strafford Centre for Excellence in Gerontological Nursing at the Faculty of Nursing. The Brenda Strafford Foundation has earmarked $1.1 million for the five-year project, making it the largest donation ever received by the Faculty of Nursing.

“This partnership is a major step forward for both institutions in enhancing our knowledge and expertise in long-term care,” says Dr. Barrie Strafford, president and CEO of the Foundation. “We‘re dealing with a unique population that requires a complex set of skills from its health care providers. Our goal is to make the acquisition of those qualifications easier.”

The program will give nursing instructors and students increased access to residents in the network of facilities run by the Stafford Foundation, create more student placements for experiential learning and allow the Foundation’s staff to link with the academic setting.

“We’re incredibly grateful for this gift,” says Dianne Tapp, interim dean, Faculty of Nursing. “Academic and clinical teachings will be restructured to maximize students’ hands-on learning and critical thinking skills specific to gerontological nursing care. This program will give our students opportunities to make an even greater contribution to improving the quality of care of the older adult living in long-term care facilities.” 

“We’re faced with an aging population and a critical shortage of nurses in this field,” says Sandra Hirst, associate professor, Faculty of Nursing and director of the Centre. “The intent is to improve best practices and get more students interested and excited about gerontological nursing.”

Second-year Master of Nursing student Loralee Fox found her passion in the care of seniors and is enthusiastic about what the new partnership will mean for nursing students and their clients. “To a lot of nursing students, the appeal is the perceived excitement of the emergency room or intensive care unit. Caring for the older adult is not always a nursing student’s first choice but this program is going to open up job opportunities in a demanding field and with this kind of hands-on-learning, will show students the impact they can have on a very important group in need.”

Seventy-seven-year-old Carol Blyth is an active senior who is not yet ready for long- term care, but welcomes the establishment of the centre. “As an older adult, when I interact with a nurse, I need someone who is informed about the health care concerns of my age group. I want someone who really understands my experiences and has the specific knowledge and skills to deal with them.”