Caroline Blaum, M.D., M.S. | Institute of Gerontology

Associate Research Scientist, IoG
Associate Professor of Internal Medicine
Associate Chief, Division of Geriatric Medicine
Medical School;
Research Scientist
Veterans Affairs Ann Arbor Healthcare System
Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center

300 North Ingalls
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Tel: (734) 763-4786
Fax: (734) 763-2064
Email: cblaum@umich.edu

Caroline Blaum's research interests are primarily in two areas: (1) disability transitions and the disease/disability relationship, and (2) undernutrition in nursing home residents. Her work has begun to link disability transitions to the natural history of chronic diseases and to evaluate the impact of these transitions on health services utilization. Related projects involve studying the impact of potential mediating characteristics, such as cognitive skill and depressed affect, on the disease-disability relationships. Collaborators in these projects include Jersey Liang, Elaine Borawski-Clark, and Liu Xian.

Blaum's study of chronic disease epidemiology has led to her interest in the natural history of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) in Michigan residents, especially those 75 and older. Her focus here is on biomedical and psychosocial factors associated with appropriate management of this common chronic disease, and on disabilities management. Collaborators include Jeffrey B. Halter, M.D. and Lourdes Velez.

Dr. Blaum's study of undernutrition in nursing home residents has shown that poor oral intake, feeding dependency and depression are associated with measures of undernutrition. In a related project, she is involved in studying clinical measures of nutrition using data collected from a sample of the Hebrew Rehabilitation Center residents. Collaborators in these projects include Brant Fries and Maria Fiatarone of the Hebrew Rehabilitation Center for the Aged in Boston, Mass.