USD President's Report 1999

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Professor Patricia Roth Hahn School ofNursing and Health Science

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migration chall enge us to find so lutions by redefining our notions of community and of ourselves. Issues of social justice will take . . . . . . . . . . responsibi lity for the care of vulnerable members. Significant emp hasis is placed on promoting healtffi.y. ag!Pg arid n epen "en.t living, b ut there contin et to bJ ~ ecft fo I S:er understanding· of the fragi le ~Jttl, s o£s.o.caal support and a l ternatives for care ava il ab le to aging l ives of aging persons and deve loping sensitive caring environments, hea lth and soc i al services to the older population remain under-funded and fragmented , whi le integrated systems of care remain elusive . The passage to the next century presents us with challenges and opportun i ties to move beyond the limitations of current approaches to enhancing t h e experience of living and dying in supportive, self-affirming, caring communities . Whi le nurse researchers focus on effective I . comes t quest10ns redominate care providers. As we rant the issues of both enriching the

F or most of us, exploration of the cha llenges an.cl opportun1t1es of aging 1n the next century 1s somewhat daunting, for it demands that we face our own fragility and that of all life. Deciding how we will care for an older population demands that we look candidly at what the future may hold, and believe that we can endure, thrive and find meaning in our lives while retaining a measure of hope, grace and ~ -i- The future holds a real sense of promis \., T the areas of aging and health. Scientific advances w· I pus- the very boundaries of life and death, extending t e limits and quality of life beyond our current Q imagi ·on. T myste 1..e5 of gen ,swill c tinue to unfold, clearer understanding of disease will emerge, and we will find increased potential for prevention, early detection and a l ternate modes of treatment. Chronic diseases such as Alzheimer ' s, Parkinson's, cardiovascular disease , diabetes and arthritis, wh ich rob the aged of their vitality, will continue to be the focus of efforts to ameliorate and , finally, eradicate their effects. Knowledge of scientific advances wil l be immediately accessible worldwide through communications systems yet to be imag i ned. W i th increased life expectancy and greater numbers, older persons will achieve greater soc ial influence and political power; thus recogn ition wil l be given to the ir valuable contributions and the quality of life in later years. Systems of care that foster hea l th and independence will emerge. With all the hope and promise of these advances , however, society may be ill-prepared to deal with the ethical, social , econom ic and political consequences of a rapidly aging society. The commonalities of aging populations in industrialized societies and the global effects of war , social and economic devastation, disease, famine and

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strategies for health promotion in the later years and strategies for life enhancement in the face of chro n ic i ll ness, n u rse administrators, consultants and care managers will seek to re - envision integrated health care delivery systems and create

linkages between older persons, their families and hea l th

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