Advancing Knowledge and Advocating for Older Adults and Their Families
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The Alabama Caregiver Connect project is led by Dr. Nicole Ruggiano who is a professor of Social Work at the University of Alabama. Nicole's work in supporting older adults and their caregivers was inspired by her own experience as a caregiver and with dementia care. She understands that families are often frustrated in the lack of information they receive and challenges of health and long-term care services.
Before coming to Alabama, Nicole was a faculty member at Florida International University in Miami, Florida. Early in her career, she researched how older adults with chronic conditions make decisions about their health. She has used the findings from this study to advocate for health care systems that are age-friendly and person-centered. She presented her research findings in a TEDx Talk, titled, Getting Old Should Not Mean Losing Control, which has more than 44,000 views. Educators have used this talk to teach students about aging and ageism. She also has received considerable feedback from community members, who can often relate to the study. To watch her TEDx talk and see other media coverage of her work, click here. |
Dr. Nicole Ruggiano
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Today, Nicole and the teams she works with develop and test technologies to help support people living with dementia and their families. Their studies have been funded by a number of sources, including:
- The Florida Department of Health
- The John A. Hartford Foundation
- The National Science Foundation
- The National Institute on Aging
Research that Informs Policy and Services
Research findings should be used to make positive change in our health care and communities! Nicole consistently talks about her research findings to stakeholders by:
- Using research findings to create trainings for doctors, nurses, social workers, and other providers so they better understand patient and caregiver experiences.
- Giving presentations to caregivers in the community so they better understand dementia and learn more about caregiving.
- In 2018, Nicole was selected as an American Political Science Association Congressional Health and Aging Policy Fellow. As a fellow, she spent a year working part time with the federal government to improve policy and services for older adults.
- In 2020, Governor Kay Ivy appointed Nicole to the Alabama Lifespan Respite Coalition, which is a group that increases capacity and education about respite care options for families in Alabama.
Social Work and Health Policy Educator
School of Social Work faculty and students at the 2019 DC Fly In.
Since the beginning of her career, Nicole has been dedicated to educating the next generation of social workers and social work researchers, especially those interested in careers in health and aging. She teaches as the undergraduate, master's, and doctoral level. She also educates students outside of the classroom, and regularly teaches students how to talk with legislators at the state and federal levels.
For more information about the work that she does, see her CV.
Education
PhD, Urban Affairs and Public Policy, University of Delaware
MSW, Social Work, Temple University
B.A., Psychology, University of Delaware
For more information about the work that she does, see her CV.
Education
PhD, Urban Affairs and Public Policy, University of Delaware
MSW, Social Work, Temple University
B.A., Psychology, University of Delaware
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Contact
Office: 3019 Little Hall School of Social Work Phone: (205) 348-4654 Email: nruggiano@ua.edu Twitter: @NRuggiano_PhD |
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