Frank J. Whittington, Ph.D.
Director, Gerontology Institute
Professor, Sociology
605 One Park Place
Gerontology Institute
P. O. Box 3984
Georgia State University
Atlanta, GA 30302-3984
Phone: 404.413.5213
Fax: 404.413.5219
E-mail: fwhittington@gsu.edu
Ph.D., Duke University, 1975
M.A. Duke University, 1971
B.A., Mississippi State University, 1968
Interests:
Dr. Whittington’s research interests focus on the social dimensions of health and health care of older persons, especially African Americans. His goal is to understand how the kind and quality of long-term care older people receive affects their overall social and physical functioning and quality of life. Dr. Whittington has studied prescription drug use and misuse by older people, the use of physical and chemical restraints in nursing homes, and the experience of poor African American elders as recipients of long-term home care services. Most of his recent research has been aimed at understanding how to promote independence and autonomy among residents of assisted living facilities. His publications include 8 books and over 50 articles and chapters on aging and long-term care. With 5 colleagues in the Gerontology Institute and based on research funded by the National Institute on Aging and the AARP Andrus Foundation, he co-authored a 2005 book published by the Johns Hopkins University Press, entitled Communities of Care: Assisted Living for African Americans. His current project is an edited volume, with colleagues Erdman Palmore of Duke and Suzanne Kunkel of Miami University, entitled the International Handbook on Aging. Currently under contract with Praeger Publishers, the handbook will include chapters about aging research, education, and policy in 50 countries around the world and is expected to appear in early 2009.
Dr. Whittington currently serves as President of the Southern Gerontological Society and recently assumed the position of Book Review Editor of The Gerontologist. He teaches two courses in the master’s program—the introductory, multidisciplinary graduate seminar entitled Seminar in Gerontology (Gero 8000) and a cross-listed graduate/undergraduate course in public policy and aging (Aging Policy and Services—Gero 4110/7110). He enjoys mentoring students and has directed 13 doctoral dissertations and 15 master’s theses.
Recent Publications:
2006
Whittington, F. J.. Adherence. In Richard Schulz (ed.), Encyclopedia of Aging, 4th edition. New York: Springer Publishing Co.
Taylor, L., Whittington, F. J., Strasser, D. C., Hennessy, C. H., Miller, S. W., & Archea, C. Gender Differences in Psychotropic Drug Use in a Nursing Home: Patterns of Psychotropic Drug Prescribing. Journal of Aging and Pharmacotherapy, 13, 67-81.
Whittington, F. J. You Might Be a Gerontologist . . . If You Decide to Buy This Book.
The Gerontologist, 46, 840-844.
2005
King, S. V., Gachuhi, M., Ice, G., Cattell, M., & Whittington, F. J. Gerontology Education and Research in Kenya: Establishing a U.S.-African Partnership in Aging. Gerontology & Geriatrics Education, 26, 117-135.
Ball, M.M., Perkins, M.M., Whittington, F.J., Hollingsworth, C., King, S.V., & Combs, B.L. Communities of Care: Assisted Living for African American Elders. The Johns Hopkins University Press.
Whittington, F. J., Ball, M. M., & Perkins, M. M. Ageism in Assisted Living. In E. B. Palmore, L. G. Branch, & D. Harris (Eds.), The Concise Encyclopedia of Ageism. New York: The Haworth Press.
2004
King, S.V., Gachuhi, M., Ice, G., Cattell, M., & Whittington, F.W. Gerontology education and research in Kenya: Establishing a U.S.-African partnership in Aging. Gerontology and Geriatrics Education. Forthcoming July, 2004.
Ball, M. M., Perkins, M. M., Whittington, F. J., Connell, B., Hollingsworth, C., King, S. V., Elrod, C., & Combs B. Managing decline in assisted living: The key to aging in place. Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences. Vol. 59B, 4, S202-212
Ball, M. M., Perkins, M. M., Whittington, F. J., Hollingsworth, C., King, S. V., & Combs, B. Independence in assisted living. Journal of Aging Studies. 18, 467-483.
Perkins, M., Ball, M., Whittington, F.J., & Combs, B. Managing the needs of low-income board and care residents: A process of negotiating risks. Qualitative Health Research. Forthcoming.
Breytspraak, L. & Whittington, F. J. Social Gerontology. Brief Bibliography Series. Washington, D. C.: Association for Gerontology in Higher Education.
2003
Taylor, L. F., Whittington, F. J., Strasser, D. C., Hennessy, C. H., Miller, S. W., & Archea, C. Psychotropic drug use in a nursing home: A six-year retrospective. Journal of Applied Gerontology 22, 474-489.
Taylor, L., Whittington, F.J., Hollingsworth, C., Ball, M., King, S., Diwan, S., Rosenbloom, C., Patterson, V., & Neel, A. A comparison of functional outcomes following a physical activity intervention for frail older adults in personal care homes. Journal of Geriatric Physical Therapy, 29, 7-11.
Patterson, V. L., King, S. V., Ball, M. M., Whittington, F. J., & Perkins, M. M. Coping with change: Religious activities and beliefs of residents in assisted living facilities. Journal of Religious Gerontology, 14, 79-94.
Taylor, L. F., Whittington, F. J., Hollingsworth, C., Ball, M. M., King, S. V., Patterson, V., Diwan, S., Rosenbloom, C., & Neel, A. Assessing the effectiveness of a walking program on physical function of residents of an assisted living facility. Journal of Community Health Nursing, 20 (1), 15-26.
2001
Whittington, F.J. Adherence: Taking prescribed medications. In George L. Maddox (ed.), Encyclopedia of Aging, 3rd edition (pp. 16-19). New York: Springer Publishing Co.
Whittington, F.J. Drug misuse and abuse. In George L. Maddox (ed.), Encyclopedia of Aging, 3rd edition (pp. 660-663. New York: Springer Publishing Co.
Rosenberg, E. & Whittington, F.J. Substance abuse programs. In George L. Maddox (ed.), Encyclopedia of Aging, 3rd edition (pp. 989-991). New York: Springer Publishing Co.
2000
Crews, J.E. & Whittington, F.J., (eds.). Vision Loss in an Aging Society: A Multidisciplinary Perspective. New York: American Foundation for the Blind Press.
Ball, M.M., Whittington, F.J., Perkins, M.M., Patterson, V.L., Hollingsworth, C., King, S.V., & Combs, B.L. Quality of life in assisted living facilities: Viewpoints of residents. Journal of Applied Gerontology 19 (3), 304-325.
1995
Ball, M. M. & Whittington, F. J. Surviving Dependence: Voices of African American Elders. Amityville, N.Y.: Baywood Publishing Co.
