Cass Dictus, PhD, MHP, RN

Cassandra “Cass” Dictus, PhD, MPH, RN, is a postdoctoral fellow in the National Clinician Scholars Program at the Durham VA Health Care System and the Duke University School of Nursing. Her research focuses on improving long-term care systems and policies to enhance the quality of life for older adults and their caregivers, with a strong emphasis on health equity.
Dr. Dictus has examined topics such as disparities in symptom management for nursing home residents, the quality of life and daily adaptation of people with dementia and their family care partners, age-friendly communities, and nursing workforce stress and coping. Her research is informed by her clinical background as a certified nursing assistant and registered nurse in nursing home and home care settings.
In the coming years, Dr. Dictus aims to advance evidence-based interventions and policy solutions that address structural inequities in community and facility long-term care. She is particularly interested in working with under-resourced nursing home communities to co-develop and test strategies that support family involvement in palliative dementia care. Committed to bridging research and policy, she seeks interdisciplinary collaborations to drive meaningful, scalable improvements in aging and dementia care.