The Indiana University Center for Aging Research (IU-CAR) is home to a National Institute on Aging Edward R. Roybal Center for Research on Applied Gerontology. Funded in 2004, IU-Roybal's primary objective is:

facilitation of research on improving support and education
for self-management among vulnerable older adults
cared for by generalist physicians.

The number of older and chronically ill adults will increase markedly in the coming two decades. In an attempt to prepare for the health care of these older adults, researchers have begun generating new models for health care that promise to improve efficiency and outcomes in chronic illness care. These models universally recognize the central role of patients in managing their illness.

Patient self-management education involves the teaching of skills for problem identification and problem solving and is also now a recommended method of education in chronic care.

• Education and support of self-management has the potential to lessen burden of illness and reduce health disparities.
• Studies of self-management education and support have shown promise for improving health outcomes and decreasing health services costs.
• Translation of self-management programs is needed for this research to achieve broad reach and contribute to the Healthy People 2010 goals of reducing health disparities and improving quality of life.

IU-Roybal builds upon IU-CAR’s twelve-year history of support from the NIA in building a research program focused on improving the quality of life of vulnerable older adults.

We seek to transform our program into a national resource
for improving self-management education and support
for vulnerable older adults.