Kara Dassel

Kara Dassel, PhD

Academic Office Information

KARA.DASSEL@nurs.utah.edu

Kara Dassel, PhD, FGSA, FAGHE, FAHSE is an associate professor and Interim Assistant Dean of the Gerontology Interdisciplinary Program in the College of Nursing at the University of Utah. Dassel earned her doctoral degree in Gerontology from the University of Kentucky. Following graduation, she completed a two-year post-doctoral fellowship in the Neuropsychology and Neuroimaging Laboratory at Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, Arizona. She is a Fellow in the Gerontological Society of America, the Academy for Gerontology in Higher Education, and the Academy of Health Science Educators. Her research interests focus on Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) end-of-life care planning and caregiver health outcomes. With funding from the National Alzheimer’s Association, she and her research team are conducting an online advance care planning intervention for persons with ADRD and their family members. Dassel is a member of the editorial boards of The Gerontologist, Educational Gerontology, and the Journal of the Academy of Health Science Educators. She serves as the project lead of Community Education and Outreach for the Utah Geriatric Education Consortium. On a community level, Dassel has served on the professional advisory board of State Chapters of the Alzheimer’s Association since 2015.

Research Statement

I have had the unique opportunity of studying cognitive aging from an interdisciplinary background in Gerontology. This experience has allowed me to view neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) from biological, psychological, public health, public policy, and health care perspectives. This specialized training also provides a deep understanding and appreciation of how ADRD has deleterious consequences on the individual, their primary caregiver, additional family members, and society at-large. My research as addressed diagnostic indicators, functional outcomes, caregiver health outcome, and most recently end-of-life care planning associated with ADRD.

My research over the past 5 years has resulted in the creation and validation of an end-of-life planning guide known as the LEAD Guide (Life-Planning in Early Alzheimer’s and Dementia; Dassel, Utz, Supiano, Bybee, & Iacob, 2019). Our first study examined EOL care preferences based on hypothetical disease scenario in large national sample of older adults (Dassel, Utz, Supiano, McGee & Latimer, 2018). We received funding from the University of Utah Center on Aging to conduct this study. In this study we found that EOL preferences do differ between hypothetical death scenarios with various death trajectories; gradual (Alzheimer’s disease), intermittent (congestive heart failure), and acute (pancreatic cancer). Our second study examined values and preferences between hypothetical disease scenarios and found that a person’s values do influence preferences across diseases and therefore should be included in advance care planning discussions (Supiano, McGee, Dassel, & Utz, 2017). Our most recent work (Dassel, Utz, Supiano, Bybee, & Iacob, 2019), which was funded by the Dick and Timmy Burton Foundation, outlines the psychometric development of a dementia-focused EOL planning guide that includes patient values and preferences as well as one’s wishes across the spectrum of dementia.Our team is currently conducting an ACP intervention trial using the LEAD Guide (funded by the National Alzheimer's Association).

In regards to educational research, as Co-I of the Utah Geriatrics Education Consortium (UGEC), I have led the development and evaluation of “ADRD Best Practices in Long-Term Care Settings” online training for informal and formal caregivers, hosted of 8 dementia caregiver educational conferences across the State of Utah (in rural and urban communities), quarterly educational “Fireside Chats” with our long-term care services and support partners focused on the 4Ms of Age-Friendly Health Care (visit https://utahgwep.org to access the LEAD Guide and online training programs).

Selected Publications

Journal Article

  1. Dassel KB Edelman LS (03/01/2022). "I worry about this patient EVERY day": Geriatrics Clinicians' Challenges in Caring for Unrepresented Older Adults. 41, 1167-1174. (Read full article)
  2. Bristol AA Mata AC Mickens M Dassel KB Ellington L (01/01/2022). "You Feel Very Isolated": Effects of COVID-19 Pandemic on Caregiver Social Connections. 7, 23337214211060166. (Read full article)
  3. Dassel KB Towsley GL Utz RL Ellington L (07/01/2021). A Limited Opportunity: COVID-19 and Promotion of Advance Care Planning. 2(1), 194-198. (Read full article)
  4. Ewen H (09/10/2020). Exploring beliefs about aging and faith: Development of the Judeo-Christian Religious Beliefs and Aging Scale. Behav Sci (Basel), 10, 1-12.
  5. Ewen HH Dassel KB (09/01/2020). Social Lives and Cliques Within Senior Housing Communities. 46, 129-143. (Read full article)
  6. Dassel K B (09/01/2020). Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program: Educational outcomes of community-based dementia caregiver conferences. Educ Gerontol, 46, 768-773.
  7. Dassel KB Flattes V Eaton J (07/01/2020). Development of a Gerontology Graduate Certificate in Post-Acute and Long-Term Care. J Gerontol Nurs, 45, 47-52. (Read full article)
  8. Perkins R (05/01/2020). Yoga for seniors: Understanding their beliefs and barriers to participation. Yoga for seniors: Understanding their beliefs and barriers to participation. . Educ Gerontol, 46, 1-11.
  9. Dassel K (02/14/2020). Development and evaluation of Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD) best care practices in long-term care online training program. Educ Gerontol.
  10. Dassel K (08/01/2019). Development of a post-acute care/long-term care graduate certificate for doctoral Nurse Practitioner students. . Geriatr Nurs, 45, 47-58.
  11. Ewen H E (07/06/2019). Social lives and cliques in senior housing. .
  12. Dassel K (07/01/2019). Development of a dementia specific end-of-life planning tool: The LEAD Guide (Life-planning in Early Alzheimer’s and Dementia). Innov Aging.
  13. Dassel (07/20/2018). Navigating the future of gerontology education: Curriculum mapping to the AGHE competencies. .
  14. Dassel K (07/13/2018). Caregiving: The need for a modern paradigm. Gerontologist.
  15. Supiano K (08/17/2017). Comparison of the influence of anticipated death trajectory and personal Values on end of life care preferences: A qualitative analysis. . Clin Gerontol.
  16. Mohlman W (08/01/2017). End-of-Life education and discussions with assisted living nursing assistants. . J Gerontol Nurs.
  17. Dassel (12/01/2016).
  18. Braden (09/01/2016).
  19. Dassel (11/04/2015).
  20. Dassel KB Carr DC Vitaliano P (11/01/2015). Does Caring for a Spouse With Dementia Accelerate Cognitive Decline? Findings From the Health and Retirement Study. Gerontologist. (Read full article)
  21. KARA B DASSEL (09/01/2014).
  22. KARA B DASSEL (03/01/2014).

Clinical Trials