About

Dr. Jung Kwak received her PhD in Aging Studies from the University of South Florida and her MSW in Social Work from the University of South Carolina. She is an Associate Professor and the Interim Director of the Luci Baines Johnson and Ian J. Turpin Center for Gerontological Nursing at the University of Texas at Austin School of Nursing. Her research focuses on implementing and evaluating psychosocial interventions that support caregiving, improve care transitions, and enhance the well-being of persons living with dementia and their care partners. Her current research includes studying palliative care and outcomes among culturally diverse hospitalized dementia patients and their family caregivers, investigating the impact of training community health workers to provide care transition support for hospitalized dementia patients and their families, and examining the effects of innovative curricula designed to improve knowledge, skills, and competencies in health profession students related to caring for individuals with Alzheimer’s and other dementias. Dr. Kwak’s work on dementia care and end-of-life decision-making has been featured in various news and media outlets, including the Associated Press, USA Today, and the documentary film 'Consider the Conversation' about end-of-life care.

Research topics

• Medicine
• Nursing
• Psychiatry
• Psychology
• Political Science
• Gerontology
• Medical education
• Clinical psychology
• Family medicine

Selected publications

• Shaping the Future: Recommendations from a Palliative Social Work Summit—A National Call to Action

  Palliative Medicine Reports · 2026-01-01

  articleOpen access

  Background: Palliative social workers play a critical role in serious illness care by addressing the biopsychosocial, spiritual, existential, and cultural needs of patients and families. Despite substantial professional infrastructure and contributions to equity and person-centered care, the profession faces persistent challenges related to recognition, funding, and visibility. These challenges are intensified by widening health inequities, policy threats to access to care, and national workforce shortages. Methods: To assess the current landscape and advance a coordinated professional agenda for palliative social workers in the United States, the Shaping the Future: Advancing Palliative Social Work Summit convened national leaders in palliative and health social work research, practice, and advocacy. A national survey of social workers providing serious illness care ( N = 350), an ongoing scoping review, and a two-day convening of leaders representing 15 organizations were used to develop a consensus-driven professional agenda. Survey data and Summit discussions were analyzed descriptively and thematically, with findings validated by participants. Results: Participants articulated a unified vision for the future of palliative social work, identifying priorities including formal recognition of social workers as essential interprofessional team members, advancement of equity-driven care models, development of a diverse and sustainable workforce, and strengthened cross-organizational collaboration. Consensus emerged around the need for coordinated advocacy, shared resources, targeted research investment, and public-facing strategies to increase visibility and impact. Conclusion: The Summit demonstrates a model for advancing palliative social work through intentional alignment collective leadership and coordinated action. Aligning shared priorities positions the field to strengthen its professional foundation and expand its impact across practice research education and policy. Sustained investment in palliative social work leadership and infrastructure is essential to ensuring the profession’s long-term viability and its capacity to meet the complex needs of people living with serious illness their families and communities.

  PublisherDOI

• Burmese Refugees’ Beliefs and Experiences of Diabetes Self-management in Texas

  Advances in Nursing Science · 2025-02-27

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Family Caregivers’ Perspectives on Challenges and Support Needs in Hospital-Based Palliative Care for Persons Living With Dementia

  Journal of Applied Gerontology · 2025-11-17

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  Palliative care needs of hospitalized persons living with dementia (PLWD) and their family caregivers remain poorly understood. This mixed-methods study explored caregivers' perspectives on challenges and support needs when hospitalized PLWD received specialist palliative care consultations. Thirty-two caregivers were recruited from two hospitals; 18 completed interviews and surveys, and 14 completed surveys only. Participants were racially and ethnically diverse (19% Black or African American, 34% Latino or Hispanic). Most identified as women (65%) and adult children (56%). Commonly reported challenges included managing health issues (59%), emotional distress (56%), and decision-making (47%). Thematic analysis of interviews revealed three themes: the value of palliative care in navigating end-of-life uncertainty in dementia, uncoordinated and reactive care during hospitalization, and lack of guidance for post-hospital transitions. While caregivers valued palliative care for emotional and decision-making support, findings underscore the need for earlier integration and improved coordination across hospital teams to better support families.

  PublisherDOI

• Dementia-Capable Workforce: Outcomes of a Scalable IPE Dementia Curriculum for Health Profession Students

  Innovation in Aging · 2025-12-01

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  Abstract Health professional students require enhanced training in Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD) and interprofessional collaboration to address workforce gaps in dementia-capable care. We developed and evaluated an online interprofessional education (IPE) curriculum for students in nursing, medicine, pharmacy, social work, and speech-language pathology at a university in Texas. The curriculum included two asynchronous modules (brain health, early detection, and IPE principles) and a virtual IPE Day with case-based, team-oriented learning. Pre- and post-surveys assessed ADRD knowledge, attitudes, and IPE competencies using validated scales. Qualitative feedback was collected through open-ended responses and analyzed thematically. Of 58 students enrolled, 42 completed both modules and 30 participated in the IPE Day. Statistically significant improvements were observed in ADRD knowledge (mean increase = 1.43, p < .001) and preparedness to support families (1.49, p < .001). Significant gains were also found across five IPE competency domains: communication (mean increase = 0.48, p = .003), collaboration (0.53, p < .001), roles and responsibilities (0.43, p = .005), patient-centered care (0.50, p = .002), and team functioning and conflict management (0.39, p = .001). Over 90 percent of participants agreed the curriculum supported their learning and professional development. Qualitative analysis revealed five themes: students valued active learning strategies, clinical relevance, and self-paced flexibility, while identifying opportunities for greater interprofessional integration and extended simulation time. These findings support the feasibility and impact of brief, scalable virtual IPE curricula to enhance dementia care competencies and provide implications for interprofessional curriculum design in ADRD education and training.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Maxwell A. Pollack Award for Contributions to Healthy Aging Presentation and Lecture

  Innovation in Aging · 2025-12-01

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  Abstract The Maxwell A. Pollack Award for Contributions to Healthy Aging Lecture will feature an address by the 2024 Pollack Award recipient Edward Alan Miller, PhD, MPA, FGSA, of the University of Massachusetts Boston. This session will also include the presentation of the 2025 Maxwell A. Pollack Award to recipient John W. Rowe, MD, FGSA, of Columbia University. The Maxwell A. Pollack Award for Contributions to Healthy Aging Award recognizes instances of practice informed by research and analysis, research that has directly improved policy or practice, and distinction in bridging the worlds of research and practice.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• A Qualitative Study Exploring the Experience of Double-Duty Nurse Caregivers

  Western Journal of Nursing Research · 2025-06-18 · 2 citations

  articleOpen access

  BACKGROUND: Double-duty nurse caregivers manage caregiving responsibilities within their professional nursing roles and in personal family caregiving contexts. This dual role often leads to complex challenges and conflicting demands between caregiving roles. Nurses who are family caregivers experience both professional and personal caregiving burdens and strains. OBJECTIVES: This study explored the experiences of double-duty nurses, highlighting the unique challenges they encounter. METHODS: = 16) were recruited throughout the United States and interviewed via Zoom. Qualitative descriptive and thematic analyses were used to analyze the data. FINDINGS: Interviews from 16 participants were analyzed. Participants described their roles as a blessing and a curse, highlighting the emotional toll and professional fulfillment associated with caregiving. Major themes included (1) the nurse of the family; (2) family and professional caregiving conflicts; (3) better nurses for patients and family caregivers; and (4) dual support needs. CONCLUSION: The study underscores the multifaceted challenges that double-duty nurse caregivers face and emphasizes the necessity for comprehensive support strategies. Interventions should address emotional resilience, financial stability, and access to supportive resources to mitigate burnout and sustain caregiving practices within the nursing profession. Nurses carrying both roles may need additional workplace, family, and community support to manage their caregiving roles.

  PublisherDOI

• Adaptation of an inpatient CHW-led Care Transition Program for Persons with Dementia and Caregivers

  Innovation in Aging · 2025-12-01

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  Abstract Persons with dementia (PWD) and their families frequently face significant challenges during hospital-to-home transitions, highlighting the need for tailored transitional care. This qualitatively driven, nested mixed-methods study applied the Framework for Reporting Adaptations-Enhanced (FRAME) to guide the adaptation of a hospital-based, community health worker (CHW)-led care transition program for hospitalized PWD and their caregivers. The goal was to improve feasibility, acceptability, and implementation fidelity. Adaptations were informed by key informant interviews (n = 5), a community advisory board of hospital providers, social services experts, and caregivers (n = 11), and a caregiver needs assessment (n = 36). Data were analyzed using thematic content analysis and descriptive statistics. Key adaptations included: (1) expanding the community health worker’s (CHW) role to provide caregiver education, emotional support, and personalized coaching; (2) enhancing assessments to cover caregiver concerns, resource needs, ADL/IADL support, and home safety; (3) allowing flexible timing for initial assessments post-discharge; (3) broadening eligibility to include individuals without a formal dementia diagnosis; and (4) developing multilingual recruitment materials (English/Spanish), brief introduction videos, and hospital-based outreach through case management teams to improve participation. This presentation discusses stakeholder engagement, key intervention modifications, recruitment challenges, and practical insights for implementing and scaling CHW-led transitional care for PWD and caregivers.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• A Qualitative Study of Chaplains Spiritual Care for Persons With Dementia in Long-Term Care

  Journal of Applied Gerontology · 2025-12-23

  article

  Chaplains play a central role in providing spiritual care in long-term care settings. This study explored how chaplains provide spiritual care for residents with dementia in long-term care, which is not well understood. We conducted six separate semi-structured focus groups with a total of 16 chaplains who provide care for people with dementia in long-term care facilities across the U.S. Thematic analysis was used to identify common practices, challenges, and adaptations in chaplains' work with persons with dementia. Two main themes emerged: the broad and multifaceted role of chaplains in long-term care, including responsibilities to residents, staff, and family, and dementia-specific spiritual care adaptations and delivery practices, including learning through experience, using multisensory tools, relying on presence, music, and emotional resonance. Chaplains' adaptive, person-centered spiritual care for residents with dementia highlights the need for dementia-informed chaplaincy training and greater integration of chaplaincy into interdisciplinary care planning in long-term care settings.

  PublisherDOI

• End-of-life care among Koreans in critical care and community-dwelling Korean Americans: A cross-cultural scoping review

  Palliative & Supportive Care · 2025-01-01

  articleOpen access

  OBJECTIVE: End-of-life (EOL) care for critically ill individuals is shaped by socioeconomic, legal, and cultural factors for Koreans in South Korea and Korean Americans (KA) in the United States. This scoping review thematically synthesized critical care literature from Korea and community-based literature involving KAs to inform culturally tailored EOL and palliative care research and practice. METHODS: Following the updated JBI scoping review guidance, we reviewed English and Korean articles across seven databases. Due to the lack of critical care studies involving KAs, the scope of U.S. studies was broadened to all healthcare settings. We conducted a thematic synthesis to identify cross-context cultural insights that are potentially transferable from Koreans in critical care to KAs with similar needs. RESULTS: = 26) focused on hypothetical palliative care preferences among older, community-dwelling KAs, with limited attention to critical care. Both contexts revealed shared cultural preferences for family-centered decision-making, physician-led discussions, and indirect communication about diagnosis and prognosis. Further research is warranted to investigate within-group heterogeneity and preference shifts across illness trajectories to inform culturally tailored EOL interventions for KAs. SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS: Findings highlight the need for culturally and structurally informed approaches to improve EOL care in both Korea and the U.S. This cross-context analysis demonstrates how evidence from the heritage country can inform research and practice for immigrant and minoritized populations when domestic data are sparse. Strength-based approaches grounded in community values, combined with culturally specific insights from Korean literature, may enhance culturally responsive support for KA patients and families.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• CEDART Study: protocol for a non-randomized feasibility study

  Research Square · 2025-05-13

  preprintOpen access1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Jennifer R. Salmon

  University of South Florida

  56 shared

• Kathleen A. Egan

  National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization

  55 shared

• Kimberly Acquaviva

  University of Virginia

  55 shared

• Katherine Brandt

  Twin Cities Orthopedics

  55 shared

• Thomas Fritsch

  13 shared

• Maggie S. Wallendal

  Wisconsin Parkinson Association

  9 shared

• Gary J. Leo

  Ospedale dei Bambini Vittore Buzzi

  9 shared

• Trevor Hyde

  Cardinal Stritch University

  9 shared

Awards & honors

• Distinguished Fellow of the National Academies of Practice i…
• Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America
• Sojourns Scholar Leader
• Health Care Systems (HCS) Scholar through the National Insti…