Kansas State University

MANHATTAN -- May 12-18 is National Nursing Home Week.

The week spotlights the more than 1.5 million residents in nursing homes, as well as the facilities, care providers and volunteers. It also promotes the relationships among residents, family members and the community, and provides an opportunity to discuss topics related to aging and end-of-life with family members and loved ones.

Gayle Doll, assistant professor in Kansas State University's College of Human Ecology and director of the college's Center on Aging, is an expert on gerontology. She has studied and published books and journal articles on numerous gerontology aspects, including culture change in nursing homes; physical functioning of older adults; and the sexual expression by residents in nursing homes. She also regularly visits Meadowlark Hills Retirement Community, a nursing home in Manhattan, Kan., to learn from residents.

Doll can discuss these topics, as well as how to talk with parents about moving into a nursing home, end-of-life wishes, and what to look for when choosing a nursing home. She can be contacted at 785-532-5945 or gdoll@k-state.edu.

The American Health Care Association established National Nursing Home Week in 1967.