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This article describes a teaching strategy used in an undergraduate gerontological nursing clinical course to familiarize students with evidence-based practice. Students are required to read and summarize an assigned evidence-based practice guideline published by The University of Iowa Gerontological Nursing Interventions Research Center. They then develop a "tip sheet," based on the assigned guideline, to disseminate to health care staff at their practicum sites, which is either a long-term care facility or a hospital-based skilled nursing facility. Nursing students' reactions to the assignment and nursing staff's responses to the tip sheets are discussed.

A lack of quality, cost-effective alternatives to nursing home care for community-dwelling older adults exists. The evidence suggests that case management provides quality care in a cost-efficient manner to help older adults remain at home safely and as independently as possible. This article describes HomeSafe, a nurse-managed membership plan that assists older individuals to enhance their health and quality of life, and to age in place in their homes and communities. HomeSafe serves as an innovative model of care and a teaching site for undergraduate and graduate nursing students and nursing faculty at The University of Iowa.

This study tested a 3-month ankle-strengthening and walking program designed to improve or maintain the fall-related outcomes of balance, ankle strength, walking speed, risk of falling, fear of falling, and confidence to perform daily activities without falling (falls efficacy) in elderly nursing home residents. Nursing home residents (N = 81) between the ages of 64 and 100 years participated in the study. Two of the fall-related outcomes, balance and fear of falling, were maintained or improved for the exercise group in comparison to the control group.