An Excerpt from Dr. Miller's Published Dissertation...

"An Action Research Study: Development of an HIV Risk Assessment Tool For An Aging Population. "

The published research explored and developed an HIV risk assessment screening tool for older adults through the collaboration of a diverse health care task force to improve health care delivery services of older adults. Past traditional roles as housewife, caretaker, and/or maintaining unhealthy marriages for the sake of traditional/moral or religious values are no longer the societal norms of trending aging population.

A new trend has emerged within this population which includes the rise in divorces, dating on-line practices, engaging in health promotion activities to maintain a functional/healthy lifestyle, in spite of illness.

In addition to the trending of seeking ongoing life fulfillment, the study suggest that older adults are also no different in at risk HIV behaviors in comparison to their counterparts which placed them at an even higher risk of HIV including sexual promiscuity, unprotected sex, substance abuse behaviors and identify largely with the LGBT communities.

This study identified a screening tool that applied a multidimensional model that view the older adult within their total context (physical, emotional, cognitive, mental, and social) and examines their coping skills to adapt or not adapt in a healthy manner to life’s transitions throughout the lifespan. In addition, the screening tool was designed to engage both the health care professional and the older adult in a dialogue that was comfortable, educational, culturally sensitive, informative and a incorporated a nonjudgmental attitude.