Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 5, 2026

Oral Health Assessment by Lay Personnel for Older Adults
Published on: February 2, 2020
The Longitudinal Elder Initiative: helping students learn to care for older adults
Rebecca L Davis1, Cindy Beel-Bates, Susan Jensen
1Grand Valley State University, Kirhof College of Nursing, 301 Michigan Street, 364 CHS, Grand Rapids, MI 49503-3314, USA. davirebe@gvsu.edu
Abstract:
This paper describes an educational innovation called the Longitudinal Elder Initiative (LEI), which was developed by a BSN program to improve students' knowledge about the health needs and nursing care of older adults. In the LEI, new nursing students are paired with older adults in the community and develop a relationship with them over the duration of the nursing program. Students complete a variety of assignments designed to facilitate learning gerontological nursing concepts. They also complete specific assessments designed to target common problems in aging. Students develop nursing care plans and interventions during the course of the project and monitor progress toward goals over time. Through the LEI, students develop relationships with older adults in the community and view their health changes longitudinally. In addition, students can observe how social, financial, and health-related factors affect health and well-being over time.
Related Concept Videos
Aging
Cellular Clock Theory
The cellular clock theory posits that the human lifespan is closely tied to the finite capacity of cells to divide, a phenomenon governed by telomeres, which are protective caps at the ends of...
Longitudinal Research
Documentation in Long-Term and Home Healthcare Setting
Long-Term Care Facilities
Continuing Care
Longitudinal Studies
Nursing Process for Patient and Caregiver Teaching II: Planning and Implementation