Dr. Abbott, her students and her colleagues are making a positive difference in the lives of older adults receiving long-term services and supports. Katy partnered with the Donaghue Foundation in 2015 to advance the science of preference-based person-centered care. This strategy honors the experiences and continuity of likes and dislikes that individuals have developed over a lifetime. It empowers residents, helping them to maximize their potential for retaining relationships, capabilities, interests and skills by acknowledging what they prefer in the context of their strengths and needs.

Providing innovative technology solutions that long-term care providers can use for quality improvement purposes is a project Katy is working on in partnership with the Miami University Computer Science Department. Together with Dr. Jerry Gannod and four undergraduate senior capstone students, a mobile responsive website called ComPASS (Care Preference Assessment of Satisfaction) is being created. The ComPASS quality improvement system helps providers pinpoint opportunities for improvement in care delivery. Dr. Abbott explains “Nursing homes are being asked by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to provide person-centered care, but they need more support. ComPASS represents a sustainable path toward success.”

Katy enjoys teaching gerontological concepts through a small group capstone experience. “Our shared goal is to improve the quality of life for nursing home residents.” Read Katy’s reports at MiamiOH.edu/ScrippsAging/Publications.