About
Dr. Rahemi is an Associate Professor at Clemson University. She has studied older adults and persons with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) from a variety of culturally and ethnically diverse populations, their treatment preferences, end-of-life care planning and decision making, and the health and quality of life of persons with chronic diseases. Her current research interests focus on an interdisciplinary approach to enhance the quality of life and end-of-life care and reduce health disparities in end-of-life care for racially diverse older adults and persons with ADRD. Dr. Rahemi’s interest is to find individual, cultural, familial, and environmental factors for enhancing advance care planning among older adults, especially persons with ADRD, using interdisciplinary, innovative, and artificial intelligence (AI)-oriented methods. She is a member of the CU Institute for Engaged Aging (IEA), Center for Research on Health Disparities (CRHD), Clemson University School of Health Research (CUSHR), and Clemson-MUSC AI Hub. She is also a member of the Gerontological Society of America, the Alzheimer’s Association International Society to Advance Alzheimer’s Research and Treatment (ISTAART), and the Southern Gerontological Society (SGS).
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How their research is transforming health care
As the number of older adults, especially immigrants, progressively increases, research in transforming health care systems becomes more important. End-of-life care and advance care planning among culturally diverse older adults are important topics in healthcare and health research. Advance-care planning is not a culturally accepted norm and practice among immigrants and culturally diverse populations. Rahemi aims to find culture-specific factors for enhancing advance care planning among older adults of different cultural backgrounds and those with Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias, especially through artificial intelligence techniques. The results from this category of research may ultimately benefit older adults in communicating their desired care before dying or prior to becoming unable to communicate. The results can also inform policies regarding developments of strategies for communication of care desires and improvement of high-quality care at end-of-life among older adults.
Rahemi’s other research interest is focused on increasing the quality of life of chronically ill patients. She collaborates with researchers to find and enhance alternative ways, such as complementary therapies, to help these patients improve their quality of life or cope with their conditions. She believes that transforming the health care system with regard to end-of-life care for culturally diverse older adults and quality of life of chronically ill patients demands an interdisciplinary team approach.
Active Funded Grants
Sponsor: NIH National Institute on Aging (NIH/NIA), K01AG081485
Title: Exploring Advance Care Planning Among Older Adults Across Racial, Ethnic, and Cognitive Differences Using Data Science.
Sponsor: Alzheimer’s Association
Title: Advance Care Planning and End-of-Life in Cognitively Impaired Older Adults.
Health Research Expertise Keywords
Faculty Scholar, Gerontology; older adults; end-of-life care; culturally diverse populations; culturally competent care; quality of life; advance care planning; Alzheimer’s disease; dementia
