Debra Dobbs , Ph.D.

Assistant Professor
School of Aging Studies

Email: ddobbs@cas.usf.edu
Telephone: 813-974-5767
Curriculum Vitae (pdf)
NIH Biosketch (pdf)

Description of Research Interests

Dr. Dobbs has been involved in assisted living and nursing home research for over ten years.  She has conducted health service utilization research in these settings (e.g., use of assisted living by low-income populations, issues related to discharge from assisted living to nursing home and factors that influence discharge; use of hospice in assisted living and nursing  home settings) in numerous states, working with state policy makers to improve access to affordable assisted living for Medicaid populations.  She has conducted both quantitative and qualitative studies to examine quality of care outcomes in long-term care settings, looking at a variety of issues (dementia care, mental health needs, activity involvement, issues related to staffing, stigma in assisted living).

Most recently Dr. Dobbs managed a large scale National Institute on Aging funded study about end-of-life care in a sample of over 1,000 decedents in 230 assisted living facilities and nursing homes in four states.  Her most recent publication examines administrators’ attitudes about Hospice use in assisted living and nursing homes. She has a great interest in increasing the use of Hospice in assisted living settings in order to meet older adults’ care needs in the least restrictive environment possible, which enables residents to die in place and not have to be discharged to the nursing home or hospital.  Currently, she is working on issues related to spirituality and end-of-life and how spirituality can mediate the fear one has of dying.   

Completed Grant Support (Last 3 Years)

An Examination of Assisted Living Trajectory, Nursing Home Admission and End of Life Care.  (Administration on Aging subcontract from Principal Investigator, Kathy Hyer).
From 9/01/06 - 8/30/07
Principal Investigator:  Debra Dobbs, PhD (25% effort)

Comparison of Medicare Fee For Service Beneficiary Hospice and NonHospice Users.  (Humana Health Care).
From 1/1/07 – 12/31/07
Principal Investigator:  Debra Dobbs, Ph.D. (25% effort)

Defining A Good Death for Residents in Long Term Care
August, 2005 to August, 2006 
Duke Institute for Care at the End of Life Principal Investigators: Sheryl Zimmerman, Ph.D., Jean Munn, MSW
Co-Investigator, Analyst: Debra Dobbs, Ph.D.

End of Life Care in Residential Care and Nursing Homes.
June, 2001 to June, 2006
National Institute on Aging (Grant No. RO1 AG18967-01).
Principal Investigator:  Sheryl Zimmerman, PhD. Project Manager:  Debra Dobbs, PhD. (50% effort)

Transitions in Assisted Living: Sociocultural Aspects.
August, 2002 to June 2006
National Institute on Aging (Grant No. R01 AG19345).
Principal Investigator Kevin Eckert, PhD.
Investigator: Debra Dobbs, Ph.D. (20% effort)

Elders’ Expectations of Retirement Communities
April 2004 to June, 2006
(Liberty Health Services)
Principal Investigator – Victor Marshall, PhD.
Co-Principal Investigator – Debra Dobbs, PhD (15% effort)

End of Life and the Dying Process Initiative: Spiritual Care at the End of Life
January, 2004 to June, 2006
(Fetzer Institute)
Principal Investigator: Tim Daaleman (D.O, MPH, University of North Carolina, School of Medicine)
Co-Investigator: Debra Dobbs, PhD (20% effort).

Challenging Life Events in Older Persons 
September, 2001 to June 2006
National Institute on Aging 1-K23-AG01033 
Principal Investigator: Tim Daaleman (D.O, MPH, University of North Carolina, School of Medicine)
Co-Investigator: Debra Dobbs, PhD (20% effort).

Publications:

Karner, T.X., Montgomery, R.J.V., Dobbs, D. & Wittmaier, C. (1998). “Increasing staff satisfaction: The impact of SCUs and family involvement.” Journal of Gerontological Nursing vol. 24 (2): 39-44.

Chumbler, N. R., Dobbs, D., Beverly, C. J. & Beck, C. K. (2000). “Eligibility for In-Home Respite Care: Ethnic Status and Rural Residence.” Journal of Applied Gerontology, vol. 19 (2) 151-169.

Chapin, R. & Dobbs-Kepper, D. (2001). “Aging in Place in Assisted Living: Philosophy versus Policy.” The Gerontologist, vol. 41 (1): 43-50.

Chapin, R., Dobbs-Kepper, D. & Oslund, P. (2001). Factors that Influence Residents’ Length of Stay in Assisted Living: A Longitudinal Analysis.” Senior Care and Housing Journal, vol. 9 (1): 85-100.

Dobbs, D. (2004). “The Adjustment to a New Home.” Journal of Housing for the Elderly. vol. 18 (1-2):51-71.

Cummings, S., Chapin, R., Dobbs, D. & Hayes, J. (2004). "Assisted living facilities' response to residents' mental health needs: A study in two states." Journal of Mental Health and Aging, vol. 10 (3), Fall, 2004.

Chapin, R., Reed, C. & Dobbs, D. (2005). "Mental health needs and service use of older adults in assisted living settings: A mixed-method study." Journal of Mental Health and Aging. vol. 11(2), Summer, 2005.

Dobbs, D. & Montgomery, R.J.V. (2005). “Family satisfaction with residential care provision: A multi-level analysis.” Journal of Applied Gerontology, vol. 24(5): 453-474.

Dobbs, D., Munn, J., Zimmerman, S., Boustani, M., Williams, C.S., Sloane, P. & Reed, P. (2005) “Characteristics associated with low activity involvement of long term care residents with dementia.” The Gerontologist., vol. 45 (1): 81-86.

Port, C., Zimmerman, S., Williams, C.S., Dobbs, D., Williams, S. & Priesser, J. (2005). “Families filling the gap: Differences in family involvement for assisted living and nursing home residents.” The Gerontologist, vol. 45 (1): 87-95.

Zimmerman, S., Sloane, P., Williams, C.S., Reed, P., Priesser, J., Boustani, M. Eckert, K. & Dobbs, D. (2005). "Dementia care and quality of life in assisted living and nursing homes." The Gerontologist, vol. 45 (1): 133-146.

Dobbs, D., Hayes, J., Chapin, R., & Oslund. P. (2006). "The relationship between psychiatric disorders and the ability to age in place in assisted living." American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, vol. 14(5).

Dobbs, D., Hanson, L. Zimmerman, S., Williams, C.S., & Munn, J. (In press). Hospice Attitudes Among Assisted Living and Nursing Home Administrators, and The Long-Term Care Hospice Attitudes Scale. Journal of Palliative Medicine.  

Honors and Awards

1998 - Dissertation Research Project: Family Satisfaction with Residential Care Provision: Examples from Britain and the United States. Awarded Pearson Fellowship by the Kansas Board of Regents. Award amount - $5,000.00.

2001-2002 - Preparing Future Faculty Fellowship. Awarded by the University of Kansas Graduate School.

2002 - Attendee, National Institute on Aging Technical Assistance Writing Workshop, Boston, MA

Professional Service

1993-present - Member, American Sociological Association (ASA) Member, ASA Aging and the Lifecourse Section 1996–2001 Member, American Society on Aging

1997-present - Gerontological Society of America (GSA)

1997-present - Member, GSA Social Research and Public Policy Section Member Member, GSA Behavioral and Social Science Section Member

2000 - Elected, GSA Publications Committee Student Representative

2000-present - Member, GSA Assisted Living-Special Interest Group

2001-2002 - Elected, GSA Student Organization Secretary

2002-2003 - Elected, GSA Public Policy Committee Student Representative

2002-2004 - Member, Academy Health 2004 Reviewer, Health Behavior and Social Environment

2006 - present - Reviewer, Research on Aging

2006 - present - Reviewer, Journal of Palliative Medicine

Classes Taught

Assistant Professor University of South Florida Fall, 2006
Research Methods I
Perspectives of Death and Dying

Adjunct Faculty University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, NC 2004-2006
Courses: Program Evaluation

Adjunct Faculty Park University Parkville, MO 1994 to 2002
Courses: Introductory to Sociology Family Sociology

Adjunct Faculty Sociology Baker University Ottawa, KS 1996
Course: Social Change