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Rhoda Meador

Dr. Rhoda Meador is an interdisciplinary social scientist and educator whose research focuses primarily on improving health and social systems to better serve older people. She has been involved in numerous educational programs and activities that bridge the gap between researchers and practitioners. She has spent much of her career working with practice and applied audiences in a variety of education, human service, and health care settings.

Dr. Meador is a member of the American Society on Aging, the Gerontological Society of America, the Direct Care Workers Alliance, and many working groups and tasks forces.  She has designed, evaluated and implemented a variety of programs and is the author and co-author of numerous books, manuals, and articles.  Dr. Meador is also a frequent speaker and trainer at professional workshops and conferences.

• Ph.D. 2008 - Iowa State University - Family and Consumer Sciences
• M.S. 1982 - Marshall University - Adult Education
• B.A. 1972 - Marshall University - Sociology

Dr. Meadors research interests focus on the role of partnerships in health care and social service settings.  She has also investigated the impact of professional development (coaching, mentoring, improved interpersonal skills and innovative management practices) and their relationship on recruitment and retention of direct care workers in long-term care. Recent research has also investigated the impact of the installation of electronic medical records on health and behavioral outcomes of nursing home residents. Other projects include design, implementation and evaluation of an intervention aimed at training retirees to engage in environmental stewardship in their local communities.

• http://www.citra.org
• http://www.blcc.human.cornell.edu

Dr. Meador is the Associate Director for Extension and Outreach, College of Human Ecology. Her  responsibilities include serving as a resource for county extension associations, providing technical assistance, contributions to project development, staff orientation and other activities that promote program development. Her role also includes 1) contributing to efforts that offer program activities and disseminate scholarship to external audiences; 2) conducting activities that help integrate extension/outreach with research and teaching; 3) coordinating extension summer internships; and 4) assisting faculty to engage CCE professionals in research.

Meador is also the Associate Director of the Bronfenbrenner Life Course Center, which is aimed at understanding human development and the life course through the lens of broader family and demographic topics. The center has a multidisciplinary focus, involving scholars from many departments and colleges throughout Cornell University.

Pillemer, K., Meador, R., Henderson, C., Robison, J., Hegeman, C., Graham, E., Schultz, L. (2008). A Facility Specialist Model for Improving Retention of Nursing Home Staff: Results from a Randomized, Controlled Study. The Gerontologist.

Maiden, P. Meador, R., Hegeman, C. Pillemer, K. (2007). Caring Communication at the End-of-Life: Applying it in Jewish nursing facilities. Journal on Jewish Aging, 1(2): 79-88.

Wethington, E., Breckman, R., Meador, R., Reid, M.C., Sabir, M., Lachs, M., & Pillemer, K. (2007). The CITRA pilot studies program: mentoring translational research.  Gerontologist., 47(6):845-50.

Sabir, M., Breckman, R., Meador, R., Wethington, E., Reid, M., Pillemer, K. (2006). The CITRA Research-Practice Consensus Workshop Model: Exploring a New Method of Research Translation in Aging.  The Gerontologist, 46, 833-839.

Meador, R. & Pillemer, K. (2006). Partners in Caregiving: Building Positive Relations Between Families and Staff in Nursing Homes. Journal of Family and Consumer Sciences, 24.

Pillemer, Karl,  J. Jill Suitor, Charles R. Henderson, Jr., Rhoda Meador, Leslie Schultz, Julie Robison, and Carol Hegeman. (2003). A Cooperative Communication Intervention for Nursing Home Staff and Family Members of Residents. The Gerontologist.

Meador, R., Hegeman, C., Caring Communication: Cooperative Communication Between Staff and Families at the End-of-Life, training manual. 2002.

Meador, R., Schumacher, Marty, The Expert CNAs Guide to Documentation. Boston: Frontline Press. 2001.

Pillemer, K., Meador, R., Hoffman, R., Schumacher, M., CNA Career Ladder Made Easy, Boston: Frontline Press. 2001.

Pillemer, K. and Meador, R., Leading the Way, The Busy Nurses Guide to Supervision.  Boston: Frontline Press. 2001.

Pillemer, K., Meador, R., Hoffman, R., Schumacher, M., CNA Mentoring Made Easy, Boston: Frontline Press. 2001.

Moen, P., Fields, V., Meador, R., CRVIS: Case Study of a Successful Intergenerational Program, in Karl Pillemer, Phyllis Moen, Elaine Wethington, and Nina Glasgow (eds.) Social Integration in the Second Half of Life. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins Press. 2000.