Regardless of their particular field of practice, social workers increasingly serve the growing population of older adults in the United States. This article describes the process of integrating an experiential component into a Baccalaureate Social Work (BSW) course involving 75 BSW students. Reflections on the strengths and challenges during 3…

California has actively engaged in the Hartford Geriatric Social Work Initiative. Subsequently, the California Social Work Education Center Aging Initiative conducted a university survey of gerontology education in California graduate social work schools ("N"?=?17). In 2005, students taking aging courses were 12% in comparison to a…

The authors and their colleagues have sustained infusion of gerontological content across their social work curriculum since implementation of their CSWE-Hartford Foundation GeroRich project from 2002-2004. Based on experiences in our department, we recommend 10 steps that include (a) responding to anticipated faculty resistance, (b) identifying…

Brown Medical School developed a comprehensive curriculum in which enriched aging content increased from 22 to 80 hours in preclerkship courses and was also added for clerkships, residencies, and nongeriatrician physicians. Innovative evaluation strategies are also described. Highlights include "treasure hunts" in the anatomy laboratory, a…

There is a national shortage of social workers who have the knowledge and skill competencies needed for practice with our rapidly growing older adult population. In the last decade, research has identified many reasons for the lack of interest in gerontological social work and steps that could be pursued within social work education to remedy the…

The present study represents an evaluation of the implementation of the integration of the American Sociological Association's (ASA) Integrating Data Analysis Project into 2 online offerings of an undergraduate sociology of aging course. This program was developed in response to concerns that students did not understand the complex relationships…

Rehabilitation counselors are assisting consumers with end-of-life issues. Counselors who have the capacity to assist with end-of-life issues in a culturally sensitive manner possess pre-established self-care networks, an understanding of death from multiple perspectives, knowledge of communication interventions, and appropriate outcome…

Ageism is a relevant topic of study because of its inevitability for all humankind. Student attitudes toward the elderly are generally negative and often follow stereotyped views found in books. An outline for use in developing a curriculum on aging is provided. (DF)

A brief overview on aging education precedes the identification of resources to help implement aging education in elementary and secondary school programs. (Author/CB)

Educators increasingly realize that longer life expectancies and changing demographics require literacy about the why's and how's of aging across the lifespan. While other contemporary issues are routinely addressed in schools, aging-related issues are often ignored or presented in stereotypical ways. This reference book suggests practical ways to…

Frail elders living alone or in long-term care settings are particularly vulnerable to bioterrorism and other emergencies due to their complex physical, social and psychological needs. This paper provides an overview of the recent literature on bioterrorism and emergency preparedness in aging (BTEPA); discusses federal initiatives by the health…

An analysis of policy implementation by the Geriatric Education Centers (GEC) program is presented, using a model developed by Sabatier and Mazmanian (1980). A policy by the Bureau of Health Professions to expand education and training efforts in geriatrics and gerontology led to the creation of four GECs in 1983. By 1989, 38 centers had been…

The paper discusses some of the available curricula on the aging, their goals, their shared characteristics, and some outcomes of the curricula. Appearing in several formats for grades K-12 classroom use and including texts, videos, and workbooks, the curricula are presented as activities that may be integrated with other prescribed content. Each…

Identifies challenges to the social work profession in an aging society including the shortage of gerontological social workers, lack of gerontological expertise and competence, negative attitudes towards older adults, inadequate social work curricula in aging, and cutbacks in federal resources. Offers strategies for enhancing gerontological…

In order to better prepare rehabilitation counselors to meet the needs of older workers, Kampfe, Wadsworth, Smith, and Harley (2005) suggested that aging issues can be infused into the curriculum of rehabilitation education programs. This article is a follow-up to the earlier publication that called for infusion of aging issues into the…