Kansas 4M Geriatrics Workforce Education Program

So proud to participate with and serve this amazing team.

“If I had my life to live over again, I would have made a rule to read some poetry and listen to some music at least once every week.” (Charles Darwin)
Darwin’s reflection on the value of poetry and music perfectly embodies What Matters, the foundational pillar of the 4Ms Age-Friendly Health Systems framework. It reminds us that quality of life goes beyond medical diagnoses and hinges on personal passions, joys, and meaning. For Darwin, this meant weekly poetry and music. For others, it might mean maintaining the ability to garden, traveling, or spending time with family.

Congratulations to KU Alzhiemer's Disease and Research Center for receipt of state legislative support to increase early diagnoses of dementia and improve care across the state.

KU Medical Center to receive $5 million from state legislature to build Kansas Brain Health Assessment Network Based at KU Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, the network aims to increase early diagnoses of dementia and improve care across the state.

One Kansas, 4Ms: what matters, medication, mentation, mobility.

Happy St. Patrick's Day from our team at Kansas 4M 🍀

Kansas 4M goes international! Presenting "Preparing the Current and Future Health and Social Care Workforce to Meet the Needs of an Aging Population through Academic-Practice Partnerships" at the Oxford Round Table Symposia at the University of Oxford on March 23rd.

📢 Seeking Kansas Home Care Agencies to Pilot a Direct Care Workforce Apprenticeship

We’re looking for Kansas home care agencies ready to help launch a Direct Care Workforce (DCW) Apprenticeship Program.

🔹 What is an apprenticeship?
A career ladder built on formal training and on-the-job mentorship.
✔ Improves recruitment & retention
✔ Increases employee skills
✔ Strong return on investment
✔ Portable, national credential

🔹 What’s the commitment?
• Join monthly meetings
• Help finalize training requirements
• Co-develop DCW competencies
• Pilot with ~10 DCWs over 2 years
• Provide on-the-job mentorship
💲 Small funding available

Interested in strengthening your workforce and shaping the future of home care in Kansas?

👉 Download the full information here:https://emma-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/zvcgb/941195f5140105ef7a93dd9d42ae46bd/DCW_Apprenticeship_Pilot_Site_recruitment_2.26.26.pdf

A study published in Neurology links mentally stimulating activities to delayed onset of Alzheimer’s and mild cognitive impairment. Researchers followed 1,939 adults, finding those with enriched cognitive lives developed Alzheimer’s later. The study highlights the concept of “cognitive reserve” and suggests activities like reading and social engagement may protect against cognitive decline.

These activities could help postpone Alzheimer’s by 5 years, study suggests The survey, one of the largest of its kind, promotes the idea that the texture of daily life can leave a measurable imprint on the aging brain.

📣 Kansas 4M Lunch & Learn: Clinical Trials with Older Adults

🗓 Wednesday, March 11, 2026

⏰ 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM (CT)

💻 Virtual Event

🎓 Free CE for physicians, nurses, social workers, pharmacists & IPCE teams

Older adults remain underrepresented in clinical trials—yet they stand to benefit tremendously from research tailored to their needs. Join us for an engaging session exploring how the 4Ms Framework (What Matters, Medication, Mentation & Mobility) can guide equitable, evidence-based inclusion of older adults in clinical research.

Featured Speakers:

👩‍⚕️ Jamie Myers PhD, RN, AOCNS, FAAN – University of Kansas School of Nursing

👩‍⚕️ Andrea Watson RN, BSN, OCN, CCRP

In this session, you'll learn to:

✔️ Explain clinical trial phases and why diverse participation—especially older adults—matters

✔️ Apply the 4Ms to support decision-making around trial enrollment

✔️ Identify one clinical study actively enrolling older adults that may fit your setting

🔗 Register now: https://www.eeds.com/portal_live_events.aspx?ConferenceID=414937

Hosted by the University of Kansas Medical Center | Supported by the Kansas 4M GWEP

🧠🍽️ Kansas 4M Lunch and Learn!
Behavioral health in older adults involves complex and interrelated factors that can be easily overlooked. Join us for “Looking Beyond the Obvious: Understanding Behavioral Health in Older Adults” on February 25, 2026, at noon (via Zoom).

This session applies the Age-Friendly Health System’s 4Ms Framework—What Matters, Medication, Mentation, and Mobility—to deepen understanding of later-life behavioral health and support person-centered care. Participants will examine practical ways to recognize, assess, and respond to behavioral health needs while promoting wellbeing for older adults.

👥 Who should attend:
Physicians, advanced practice providers, nurses, social workers, pharmacists, and other health professionals serving older adults in rural and underserved areas.

🎤 Speaker:
Dr. Tracy Davies, DNP, APRN, ANP, GNP-BC, PMHNP-BC

📅 Date: February 25, 2026
⏰ Time: Noon
💻 Format: Zoom
👉 Register here: https://www.eeds.com/portal_live_events.aspx?ConferenceID=414937

Bring your lunch and join the conversation, because caring for older adults means looking beyond the obvious.