Dr. Eleanor Mcconnell

Biography

Eleanor Schildwachter McConnell is an Associate Professor at the Duke University School of Nursing, where she has focused her research on understanding the factors influencing functional decline in frail older adults. She has been funded by the National Institute of Nursing Research and the Department of Veterans Affairs to conduct studies identifying modifiable risk factors that can help mitigate worsening self-care disabilities among long-stay nursing home residents with chronic cognitive impairment. McConnell has developed and tested various interventions aimed at modifying these risk factors. Her work has significant implications for nonpharmacologic approaches to managing healthcare needs in older adults, particularly in residential care settings. She is actively involved in several research projects and grants aimed at enhancing care for older adults, including studies on post-acute care models and dementia care providers' perspectives. McConnell obtained her Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, in 1995.

Research Interests