Thomas Jefferson University's Center For Applied Research On Aging And Health Named 2007 Riegel Award Recipient

CARAH Recognized for Improving the Quality of Life for Older Adults in the Greater Germantown Area

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — June 15, 2007 — Thomas Jefferson University’s Center for Applied Research on Aging and Health (CARAH) will proudly accept the Marguerite L. Riegel Award on June 18 at Center in the Park’s Annual Meeting of its Board of Directors.  Center in the Park is a community center that promotes positive aging and fosters community connections for older adults in Northwest Philadelphia. 

Center in the Park presents the annual Riegel Award to an organization which affirms the dignity and potential of older people and improves the quality of life for older adults in Greater Germantown.  CARAH supports issues that have a positive effect on the quality of life for older people, especially the ethical and social issues unique to racial and ethnic communities.  CARAH also works closely with Center in the Park to develop and evaluate innovative programs to support the mental and physical well-being of older people, particularly, African American older adults.

Lynn Fields Harris, Executive Director of Center in the Park, acknowledges CARAH’s positive impact on the community, “Dr. Gitlin and the staff of CARAH work tirelessly to identify and address the needs of the elders which are served by Center in the Park and are truly collaborative partners in the projects which we have undertaken together.”

CARAH and Center in the Park collaborate on several projects ,, including Harvest Health, a chronic disease self-management program funded by the U.S. Administration on Aging, through the Philadelphia Corporation for Aging.  They have continued their partnership with on In Touch: Mind, Body & Spirit, a program funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), the purpose of which is to evaluate ways of supporting positive mental health in African American elders.  CARAH and Center in the Park are able to expand their collaboration with a newly funded study from to test a depression intervention with an African American homebound population.

 “We are honored to accept this great tribute,” acknowledges Laura N. Gitlin, Director of CARAH.  “Center in the Park and CARAH are strong partners in promoting positive aging in the Greater Philadelphia area.  It is CARAH’s hope that through its research and partnerships that we can change the landscape of health care for older adults. We humbly accept this award and look forward to supporting Center in the Park’s future community outreach and innovative programming.” 

The Center for Applied Research on Aging and Health (CARAH), in the College of Health Professions of Thomas Jefferson University, seeks to improve the lives of older adults through research, training of health professionals and implementation of evidence-based clinical services.   CARAH is committed to enhancing the quality of life for older adults and family caregivers by developing, testing and disseminating innovative community and home-based health and human services. CARAH explores opportunities for academic-community partnerships and facilitates interdisciplinary approaches to problems of public health importance covering the topics of physical frailty, health disparities, dementia care, end of life comfort care, healthy aging, aging at home in place and quality of life issues. Learn more about CARAH’s research at http://www.jefferson.edu/jchp/carah/index.cfm.

Contact:
Jacqueline Paquet
215-503-1918
Jacqueline.Paquet@jefferson.edu

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