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GOLTC

GLOBAL
OBSERVATORY
OF LONG-TERM
CARE

Part of the International Long-Term Care Policy Network (ILPN)

 

Verena Cimarolli

LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston

Verena Cimarolli

Verena Cimarolli, PhD, is vice president of applied research and partnerships in the Washington, DC, office of the LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston. She holds a doctoral degree in applied developmental psychology from Fordham University. Dr. Cimarolli’s research focuses on the psychosocial challenges experienced by older adults due chronic illness, their adaptation to these challenges, and the role of family/friend and formal caregivers in the process. Her research also identifies best strategies and interventions for supporting older adults with chronic illness and their caregivers in the context of long-term services and supports (LTSS). In addition to conducting research, Dr. Cimarolli works with the LTSS Center’s leadership to develop the center’s overall research strategy and infrastructure, and manages the LTSS Center’s research agenda with its external partners.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Countries United States;
Topics Care in rural and other non-urban settings; Care innovations; Care integration/ coordination; Care management; Community-based LTC; COVID-19 and other infectious diseases and LTC; Demand for Long-Term Care; Dementia care and support; Evaluation of LTC systems and services; Exercise and healthy ageing; Healthcare access in LTC; Home/domiciliary care; Housing and care; Information and data systems in LTC; LTC Workforce; New models of care; Outcome measurement in LTC; Outcomes for unpaid/informal carers; Priority setting in LTC; Quality of care; Residential LTC services; Support for unpaid carers; Survey measures; Technology and LTC; Unpaid / informal care; Workforce capability;
Methods Analysis of administrative data; Assessment tool development; Case studies; Feasibility studies; Focus groups; Implementation science; Literature reviews and synthesis; Longitudinal data analysis; Measure validation; Mixed methods; Pilot study; Practice-based approaches; Qualitative studies; Quantitative data analysis; Quasi-experimental methods; Questionnaire; Surveys; Systematic Review; Theory and frameworks; Trials and other evaluations;
Role Research;
Interest Groups Ageing and Place; Community-based approaches to dementia care; Employment Education and Family carers; Innovation in Long-Term Care; Integrated Long-Term Care; Long-Term Care Policy; Quality improvement in Long-Term Care; Strengthening Responses to Dementia; Technology and Long-Term Care; Workforce Capacity and Capability; Working Conditions and Wages in Long-Term Care;
Websitehttps://www.ltsscenter.org/
ORC.IDhttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-4551-3531
GOOGLE SCHOLARhttps://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=nkJ1_DYAAAAJ
LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/verena-cimarolli-9972995/
Research interests

Well-being of Long-Term Services and Supports Direct Care Workers

Addressing the Long-Term Services and Supports Direct Care Workforce Shortage

Quality of Long-Term Services and Supports-related Care

Social Support and Family Caregiving in the Context of Chronic Illness

The Intersection of Formal and Family Long-Term Services and Supports-related Care

Understanding the Consequences of Chronic Disease-Related Functional Loss and Disability

Development and Evaluation of Interventions to Promote Well-Being in Older Adults with Chronic Illness and their Caregivers
Key publications

Cimarolli VR, Bryant NS, Falzarano F, Stone R. Factors associated with nursing home direct care professionals’ turnover intent during the COVID-19 pandemic. Geriatr Nurs. 2022 Nov-Dec;48:32-36. PubMed Central PMCID: PMC9424510.

Cimarolli VR, Bryant NS, Falzarano F, Stone R. Job Resignation in Nursing Homes During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Quality of Employer Communication. J Appl Gerontol. 2022 Jan;41(1):12-21. PubMed Central PMCID: PMC8997364.

Bryant NS, Cimarolli VR, Falzarano F, Stone R. Organizational Factors Associated with Certified Nursing Assistants’ Job Satisfaction during COVID-19. J Appl Gerontol. 2023 Jul;42(7):1574-1581. PubMed Central PMCID: PMC9908517.

Falzarano FB, Cimarolli V, Siedlecki KL. Staying in the loop: Quality of family-paid caregiver communication and influences on resident mental health in long-term care. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2023 Apr;71(4):1209-1219. PubMed Central PMCID: PMC10089968.

Cimarolli VR, Chunga RE, Falzarano F, Riffin C, Tintle N, Czaja S, Boerner K. Feasibility and Preliminary Efficacy of an Intervention to Support Long-Distance Family Caregivers of Older Adults with Dementia. Clin Gerontol. 2025 Oct-Dec;48(5):976-986. PubMed Central PMCID: PMC12336357.

Chunga RE, Cimarolli V, Falzarano F, Riffin C, Czaja S, Boerner K. Long-Distance Family Caregivers’ Perceptions of Burden and Strain Scales Developed for Proximate Family Caregivers. J Appl Gerontol. 2025 Nov 26; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC12662591.

Falzarano FB, Cimarolli VR, Riffin C, Czaja SJ, Boerner K. Preliminary evaluation of a tailored difficulty index for long-distance family caregivers of older adults with dementia. BMC Geriatr. 2025 Dec 30;25(1):1074. PubMed Central PMCID: PMC12754881.

Falzarano FB, Cimarolli V, Boerner K, Siedlecki KL, Horowitz A. Use of Home Care Services Reduces Care-Related Strain in Long-Distance Caregivers. Gerontologist. 2022 Feb 9;62(2):252-261. PubMed Central PMCID: PMC8827323.

Cimarolli VR, Burack O, Minahan J, Hennessa A, Stone R, Shi X. Participation in a Substance Misuse Intervention in Post-acute Care Is Associated With More Optimal Rehabilitation Outcomes. Gerontologist. 2021 Jul 13;61(5):787-796. PubMed PMID: 32776123.

Reinhardt, J. P., Downes, D., Cimarolli, V., & Bomba, P. (2017). End-of-life conversations and hospice placement: association with less aggressive care desired in the nursing home. Journal of Social Work in End-of-Life & Palliative Care, 13(1), 61-81.

Reinhardt, J. P., Horowitz, A., Cimarolli, V. R., Eimicke, J. P., & Teresi, J. A. (2014). Addressing depression in a long-term care setting: a phase II pilot of problem-solving treatment. Clinical therapeutics, 36(11), 1531-1537.

Reinhardt, J. P., Cimarolli, V. R., Burack, O. R., Minahan, J., Marshall, T. L., & Weiner, A. S. (2019). The small house model of long-term care: Association with older adult functioning. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, 20(2), 222-223.

Reinhardt, J. P., Burack, O. R., Cimarolli, V. R., & Weiner, A. S. (2020). Dementia-focused person-directed care training with direct care workers in nursing homes: effect on symptom reduction. Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 46(8), 7-11.