Keith Diaz Moore, chairman of Kansas University's architecture program, works with the Gerentology Center. He is a specialist in the design of long-term care facilities and recently finished a book, Designing

Kansas University leaders are helping the state and nation prepare to care for an aging population through research, education and community service.

Kansas ranks 11th among states in percentage of persons age 65 and older, and it ranks fifth among states in the percentage of persons age 85 and older.

“We are definitely an aging population throughout the entire country. Kansas is a little ahead of the curve in that we’ve got counties in Kansas that have higher percentages of elderly than the country as a whole will ever see,” said Linda Redford, director of Central Plains Geriatric Education Center at KU Medical Center’s Landon Center on Aging. “We are looking at close to 20 percent of the Kansas population will be 65 or over by 2020.”

Aware of such statistics, the Kansas Legislature mandated a program be developed to address the issues associated with the aging process. The Landon Center on Aging began operation in 1986 as a result of the mandate. It conducts, sponsors and supports the development of educational, clinical and research programs related to aging.

“A lot of our mandate, at this point, is to make certain that practicing health professionals are getting training that they need in geriatrics to do a good job of taking care of older people,” Redford said.

The center serves as the coordinating body for undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate education in geriatrics and the care of older adults. It also offers continuing education opportunities for health care professionals. KU is one of 10 universities in the country that has a doctoral program in gerontology.

David Ekerdt, director of KU’s Gerontology Center, believes KU is on the cutting edge when it comes to aging issues.

“We have a lot of strength and a lot of activities across the campus,” he said.

Other aging programs

The Gerontology Center – established in 1977 by the Kansas Board of Regents to engage in research, education and service in the field of aging – works with the Landon Center on Aging and other programs geared to aging. Those programs include:

¢ Office of Aging and Long-term Care in the School of Social Welfare. It conducts research on long-term care, services and housing for older people. Last year, faculty member Rosemary Chapin helped produce a 174-page report called “Planning for Long-term Care Services in Kansas Before the Boom” for Kansas policymakers. The report looked at trends in areas such as nursing homes, Medicare funding and disability rates. Her findings, officials hope, will help leaders address the needs of a growing adult population.

¢ Elder Law Program. In recent years, the School of Law added a certificate program for students who want to focus on elder law. It also is one of three universities that offer a post-juris doctorate program that concentrates on elder law. Sandra McKenzie, director of the Elder Law Program, said she expects to see more interest in the program as the baby boomer generation ages. She said seniors are going to need help in wading through the laws and regulations of issues such as benefits and competency. McKenzie is seeing a steady increase in interest among students who want to earn the certificate. In May, KU had its first student graduate in the program, which began in 2005.

¢ Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. It provides classes for older adults in Lawrence, Topeka and Kansas City. The program has grown from about 200 members during its first semester in 2005 to 500 members today. It is one of 93 institutes in 42 states and the only one in Kansas. It also has partnerships with area retirement communities.

Research abounds

Ekerdt said the Gerontology Center primarily does research.

“We largely do research on the social and behavioral aspects of aging,” he said. “We have a strong interest in cognitive aging and that is to say the aging of the mind, dementia, and communication and aging.”

He said about 30 full-time faculty members are affiliated with the center. Keith Diaz Moore, chairman of the Architecture Program, is one of them. He is a specialist in the design of long-term care facilities. He recently finished a book, “Designing a Better Day: Guidelines for Adult and Dementia Day Services Centers.”

“We are very proud to have him,” Ekerdt said.

Diaz Moore, who has researched the elderly for 15 years, believes baby boomers will create new trends in housing.

“We are going to see a very different approach to meeting the needs of the elderly during the next 20 years than what we have seen in the last 30,” he said. “We are definitely going to see home health and adult day care take off over the next few decades. It is just going to have to happen.”

Diaz Moore and the plethora of other researchers at KU are going to become more valuable as the Baby Boomer generation begins to mature. Not only are policymakers looking to them for information, but they also are sharing that knowledge with students.

“This is an issue that is going to be on the front burner probably for the rest of our lives,” Ekerdt said of aging.