Resident-to-Resident Aggression in Long-Term Care: An Evidence-Based Solution (Archive 4/20/22)

1.0 CME / 1.0 CMD Management 

Over the past 10 years, researchers at Cornell University have conducted studies of conflict and aggression among residents in nursing homes and assisted living communities. These studies established the first prevalence rates for resident-to-resident aggression (RRA) and identified residents at high risk of involvement in altercations with other residents. Based on this research, the first evidence-based intervention program for this problem was developed and tested: The Improving Resident Relationships in Long-Term Care (IRRL) program. This webinar will include an overview of RRA, including the extent, correlates, and contexts in which it occurs. The IRRL program will be discussed, including key components, implementation issues, and evidence of effectiveness. Information will be offered regarding support and resources for providers interested in using the program. 

Learning Objectives

By the end of the webinar, participants should be able to:

• Describe the prevalence and dynamics of RRA.
• Review updated RRA research findings.
• Discuss a successful intervention program for preventing and treating RRA incidents.
• Obtain practical guidance on implementing the RRA reduction program.

Speaker Information:

Speakers: Karl Pillemer, PhD; Mark Lachs, MD, MPH; Rhoda Meador, PhD

Karl Pillemer, PhD, is the Hazel E. Reed Professor of Human Development at Cornell University and Professor of Gerontology in Medicine, Weil Cornell Medicine. He has a career-long interest in improving the quality of long-term care through developing evidence-based staff development and training programs. He also leads a program of research on conflict, aggression, and abuse in the lives of older people, both in domestic and institutional setting. He has been continuously funded by the National Institutes of Health for over 30 years and has published more than 175 academic papers on these and related topics.

Mark Lachs, MD, MPH, is Director of Geriatrics for the New York Presbyterian Health System, Co-Chief of the Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine at the Weill Cornell Medicine and the Irene F. and I. Roy Psaty Distinguished Professor of Medicine. Dr. Lachs’ major area of interest is the disenfranchised elderly, and he has published widely in the areas of elder abuse and neglect, adult protective services, the measurement of functional status, ethics, and the financing of health care. His service to community and country includes membership on an Institute of Medicine Committee to address the training needs of health professionals in family violence, participation in two White House Conferences on Aging, and testimony before the Senate Committee on Aging on multiple occasions. He also sits on the Board of the American Federation for Aging Research and has serves as its immediate past president and has served as an advisor for the World Health Organization on Elder Abuse. He is a founder and Medical Director of the New York City Elder Abuse Center (www.nyceac.org) a community academic partnership of senior centers, adult protective service professionals, law enforcement providers, governmental agencies, and others that seek to protect the rights and dignity of elder abuse victims through direct service, advocacy, case coordination, and research.

Rhoda Meador, PhD, is the Associate Director of the Cornell Institute for Translational Research and the former Director of the Ithaca College Gerontology Institute. Her research focuses primarily on improving health and social systems through staff training. Dr. Meador has designed, evaluated, and implemented a variety of educational programs and has authored numerous scholarly articles, books, and manuals. She has a PhD from Iowa State University, and a BA and MS from Marshall University.

Credit Information:

Activity Created 4/2022

Credits Available Until 4/2025

Credit Statements: 

CME: AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)TM. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

CMD: This self-study activity has been pre-approved by the American Board of Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine (ABPLM) for a total of 1.0 management hours toward certification or recertification as a Certified Medical Director (CMD) in post-acute and long-term care medicine. The CMD program is administered by the ABPLM. Each physician should claim only those hours of credit actually spent on the activity.

Visit the Continuing Education page for information on if and how you can claim credit/hours for AMDA’s education.

Disclosure Information:

The Society requires the disclosure of all speaker/faculty/planner’s relevant financial relationships; presence of off-label use of a device or medication; and discussion of any experimental, new or evolving topic prior to each accredited education activity.

If the learner perceives any bias toward a commercial product or service, advocation of unscientific approaches to diagnosis or therapy, or recommendation, treatment, or manners of practicing healthcare that are determined to have risks or dangers that outweigh the benefits or are known to be ineffective in the treatment of patients please report this to the Society’s staff.

All relevant financial relationships have been identified, mitigated, and resolved.

All relationships have been identified, mitigated, and resolved. 

• The following AMDA Online Education Subcommittee members have financial relationships to report: Robert Zorowitz, MD, MBA, CMD – United Health Group: stock shareholder; all others have no relationships to disclose.   
• The speakers have no financial relationships to disclose.
• AMDA staff have no financial relationships to disclose.