Zelda Foster Studies Program Receives Samuels Foundation Grant to Train Geriatric Professionals in Palliative and End-of-Life Care

NYU Silver’s Zelda Foster Studies Program in Palliative and End-of-Life Care has been awarded a $38,000 grant from the Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation to provide primary palliative care training to social workers and other professionals working with older adults in New York City. The two-year grant will provide scholarships for geriatric professionals to attend the Zelda Foster Studies Program’s Summer Institute in Primary Palliative Care and supports the evaluation of the program.

According to Clinical Professor and Zelda Foster Studies Program Director Dr. Susan Gerbino, “There is a clear need for those who work with older adults to be proficient in palliative and end-of-life care (PELC) so they can support patients and families through the trajectory of serious illness, from diagnosis through bereavement, with support, counseling, education, anticipatory guidance and assistance with care planning and decision making. I am grateful to the Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation for funding this important initiative, which will ultimately improve the quality of life of countless elderly New Yorkers.”

The 2017 Zelda Foster Studies Summer Institute in Primary Palliative Care will be held at NYU Silver from July 17th to July 21st. The week-long, half-day program for social workers, therapists, and others providing mental health and counseling services, will cover PELC primary assessment, interventions and skills, explore ethical and legal implications in the field, and address self-care and clinician well-being in the work in hopes of creating sustainable practices. Participants who received Samuels Foundation scholarships will also receive supplemental training specific to the needs of older adults.