Dr Baum’s research focuses on enabling older adults to live independently. Rather than focus on people’s deficits, she seeks to understand what a person with chronic disease or disability can do. She and her colleagues have built a measurement model that demonstrates the capacity of a person to engage in activities, tasks, and roles. By understanding the capacities of the person, it is possible to minimize unnecessary disability. Understanding capacities also helps both the person and the family acquire skills to maximize the person’s performance, while minimizing stress on the family that has chosen to care for their loved one.

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