GERONTOLOGY & GERIATRICS EDUCATION最新文献

Dementia education can be an effective pedagogical tool to improve student perceptions of dementia and dementia care. In this article, we describe four evidence-based educational initiatives implemented in an undergraduate and graduate level social work course. Students participated in an informational presentation on dementia, a dementia simulation, and a virtual discussion board. They also conducted an interview with a person living with dementia and their caregiver. Twenty-nine students completed a pre- and postsurvey on their (a) prior contact with individual(s) living with dementia, (b) dementia-related knowledge, attitudes, and self-efficacy, and (c) willingness to support individuals living with dementia, and 43 students participated in a focus group. Comparison of pre- and post-participation scores indicated improvements in knowledge, attitude, and self-efficacy. Content analyses of focus group responses and discussion posts generated themes that shed light on students' (a) knowledge gains at cognitive and affective levels, (b) attitudes toward future practice in dementia care, (c) perceived value of interprofessional practice, and (d) perceptions of dementia related learning activities. Despite limitations in implementation and evaluation, the curricular initiatives provide a template to train future health professionals in dementia care, a vital area of practice.

This article aims to explore the integration of Louis Cozolino's (2013) andragogical strategies with the tenets of person-centered dementia care practices to enhance dementia care education. The article examines the multiple dimensions of learning in adulthood, highlighting the role of neural plasticity and lifelong brain adaptation in shaping learning and experiential strategies. This in-depth evaluation underscores the significance of tailoring andragogical approaches to the needs of adult learners, who, in this context, are care providers for persons with dementia. This is done through proper understanding of the neurobiological realities and the unique learning needs of adults. Such tailored approaches can be aligned with the brain's adaptive nature by recognizing the intricate interplay of cognitive, emotional, and social dimensions. Highlighting the need for including lessons on the person-centered approach in dementia care education, the paper argues that adult learners - who are essentially part of the dementia care workforce - first need to learn, appreciate, and embrace the approach before applying it in their caregiving practices. This article presents an overarching argument that integration of Cozolino's principles of adult learning with tenets of person-centered dementia care could provide a robust framework for dementia care education.

People with dementia have a high likelihood of being hospitalized at some point during the disease process. Recent research has found that more can be done to improve dementia care in hospitals. One of the strategies suggested to help achieve this objective is to provide dementia education programs to hospital staff. Such programs have the potential to improve the knowledge, attitudes, and skills of staff in caring for people with dementia to optimize their in-hospital experiences and clinical outcomes. This paper reports a mixed-methods evaluation of a dementia education program delivered to staff at a hospital in Melbourne, Australia. The quantitative evaluation found significant improvements in participant's knowledge of dementia but did not show significant improvements in "social comfort," a measure of how comfortable respondents are around people with dementia. Qualitative interview data supported the quantitative finding regarding improvements in knowledge about dementia and demonstrated participants were largely satisfied with the content of the education program. However, qualitative data also indicated a problem with engagement with some non-clinical staff. There is a need to improve the quality of care for patients with dementia in hospitals, and this study shows that a dementia education program can be effective in improving staff knowledge about people with dementia.

In this study, the impact that a reading and writing workshop had on older adults was examined. Providing opportunities for later-life learning has become increasingly important in Chile as the population continues to age and analyzing their experiences from their own viewpoint is also relevant for their developing opportunities. In this case study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 older female adults who embarked on their first university experience while participating in a workshop focused on improving reading and writing skills. Through reflective thematic analysis, the study identified five main categories and looked into them from a legitimate peripheral participation perspective. The findings showed various personal and social beneficial gains, demonstrating the accountability of the older adults and the general positive impact of the experience.

The Age-Friendly Inventory and Campus Climate Survey (ICCS) is the most comprehensive instrument available to empirically examine age inclusivity in higher education. While widely used in the United States, it had not been used in Canada. The purpose of this article is to share our experience and outcomes from using the ICCS at a Canadian post-secondary institution - the University of Calgary. The inventory was completed by 10 administrators to determine the presence of age-friendly campus practices and environmental features at the university. The survey was completed by 178 faculty, 608 staff, and 1,167 students to understand their awareness and perceptions of age-friendly practices and features covered by the inventory. We found that the ICCS was transferrable to our national and institutional context with minor modifications. Some challenges were experienced in the administration of the instrument, particularly the survey due to administrative complexities in conducting a survey at a large institution. The results of the assessment indicated that our university is moderately age-friendly, but most survey participants were unaware of its age-friendly elements. The findings from this baseline assessment provided valuable insights that will inform the development of an action plan to enhance the University of Calgary's age-friendliness.

Older adults are living longer, healthier lives which is contributing to extensions in employment, career shifts, and interest in educational opportunities. In the U.S. many states offer programs that promote cost-friendly options to participate in higher education. In Utah, this program is called House Bill 60 (HB60), which allows people 62 and older to audit courses at public universities for a minimal cost. This opportunity has been available for many years, yet it is relatively unknown and not promoted by key parties. The purpose of this paper is to describe the experience of implementing a program to 1) develop and institute a targeted marketing campaign to raise awareness of the HB60 program to university and community partners, 2) develop and administer training to academic advisors to facilitate support for those enrolling in HB60, and 3) enhance enrollment through tuition waiver support. Community partnerships increased and departmental support for marketing, communications, and processing tuition waiver funds facilitated enrollment in HB60. Over four semesters, use of tuition waivers increased by 875%. Initiatives such as this have the potential of increasing knowledge about age-friendly practices and advocacy for age inclusivity.

There has been a call to action to integrate the Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) into health care education including interprofessional education. This brief describes a large-scale online interprofessional educational curriculum where students focus on SDoH of older adults through patient-centered, collaborative telehealth experiences. The curriculum was delivered to students (n = 417) from 17 programs within the Colleges of Health Sciences, Medicine, and Nursing at a large Midwestern academic medical center. Students completed all curricular activities in interprofessional teams, composed of five-six students with at least four professions. Student teams completed a series of three telehealth sessions over a 12-week period with 73 older adults living in communities (i.e. Community Health Mentors [CHMs]). CHMs' average age was 71.2 years and all were living with at least one or more chronic conditions. Students completed the Self-Reported Competence Identifying and Addressing SDoH before telehealth training and upon completion of the telehealth sessions. Students demonstrated significant increases in perceived confidence within the four SDoH competency domains: 1) identifying, 2) addressing, and referral to both 3) internal and 4) external resources. Reflection, faculty, and client feedback enhanced the student learning experience and outcomes.

Ageism is often neglected in higher education curriculum, leaving many students unaware of its harmful effects and how to address it. The purpose of this mixed methods study was to examine the benefits of education on ageism and intergenerational contact in a 1-credit seminar course on ageism. Participants included 21 students (experimental group) in an ageism course and 35 students (control group) in reading-based seminar courses unrelated to ageism. The baseline and posttests included the Expectations Regarding Aging Survey (ERA-38) and the Attitudes to Ageing Questionnaire (AAQ-24). Following the course, students from the experimental group participated in focus groups to further contextualize the quantitative data by capturing student perspectives and attitudes. Paired samples t-tests revealed significant increases in the experimental group on most measures, however, no change in the control group on any measure. Analysis of focus group data revealed students recognized ageist behavior, had positive outlook on aging, and a greater awareness of "normal" aging. A group project designed to combat ageism was a positive experience and enabled students to apply what they learned about aging and ageism. These promising results indicate potential benefits of 1-credit courses for education about aging, ageism and promoting engagement with older adults.

Caring for older adults is often seen as less prestigious, less attractive, and even boring and frustrating by health care students. A cross-sectional study of 265 paramedical students examined their fear of death, anxiety about aging, knowledge of aging and gerontological care, perceptions of older adults, and how these factors relate to ageist attitudes and perceptions of working with older adults using path analysis. The study found that anxiety about aging, negative perceptions of older adults, and limited knowledge of aging and gerontological care were directly linked to hostile ageist attitudes. Fear of death indirectly influenced hostile ageist attitudes through negative perceptions of older adults. Additionally, anxiety about aging, hostile ageist attitudes, and negative perceptions of older adults were linked to negative perceptions on working with older adults. Benevolent ageist attitudes were not linked to negative perceptions of working with older adults but were associated with negative perceptions of older adults and less knowledge of aging. These findings suggest that enhancing students' knowledge and changing their perceptions of older adults and the aging process could effectively combat ageism in health care. Addressing ageist attitudes is crucial, as they are significantly associated with negative perceptions of working with older adults.