Seasoned geriatric community health workers offered valuable data that will inform educators and community health workers working with older persons. Geriatric community health workers' views about retirement and about facilitators and barriers that keep them engaged with older adults during retirement were identified. Twenty geriatric community…

The BSW Experiential Learning (BEL) Program aims to infuse intergenerational content into the curriculum and recruit students to the field of social work by implementing face-to-face learning opportunities with older adults. This article discusses and compares the experiences of 4 diverse BEL projects that implemented gero-experiential learning…

Quality assurance (QA) in gerontological and geriatric education programs is regarded as essential to maintain standards, strengthen accountability, improve readability of qualifications, and facilitate professional mobility. In this article the authors present a summary of international developments in QA and elaborate four international trends,…

This article examines the impact of a curricular infusion strategy aimed at integrating gerontological practice issues into social work education. Findings (N = 83) illustrate that student interest, knowledge, and skills in aging practice increased immediately following implementation of a three-tiered infusion approach; however, ongoing exposure…

Human service students' (social work, criminal justice, public administration, psychology) were surveyed (N = 242). Their perceptions about older persons' resilience and recovery from substance abuse were investigated. Overall, respondents did not agree that treating older persons for a substance abuse problem was wasteful of resources or older…

With focus on interdisciplinary education models, social work and physical therapy faculty from two proximate universities partnered to create an evidence-based geriatric assessment and brief intervention research, training, and service project for community-dwelling older adults. Assessment tools and interventions were selected from the…

This book, celebrating the Geriatric Social Work Initiative's 10th Anniversary, documents the effect that its educational programs have had on shaping gerontological social work education as a whole. Each chapter highlights various aspects of this John A. Hartford Foundation-funded initiative--its competency-based education, model for curricular…

A training curriculum on mental health and aging was developed and disseminated to 32 natural caregivers throughout a frontier state using a train-the-trainer model. Those certified as trainers included social workers, religious professionals, volunteers, long-term care employees, nurses, home health workers, and professional and informal…

Describes a two-year, multisite, curriculum-development project aimed to increase the pool of professionals trained in geriatric and/or gerontological social work. Methods included providing advanced training in aging, cultural competence, and interdisciplinary practice; developing, implementing, and testing an innovative student curriculum based…

End-of-life circumstances have changed dramatically in recent years. In the past century life expectancy has increased by 62 percent and people are living longer with chronic illness. This article discusses evolving health practices and policies in end-of-life decisions. Treatments to prolong life and provide comfort, and interventions that hasten…

Offers the insights of leaders in the fields of social work and aging regarding the profound economic, political, and moral implications of projected societal changes. Notes the trend toward economic inequality for future elders. Predicts the baby boom generation will bring about major policy changes and redefine aging in search of meaning in what…

Discusses the contours of population aging, especially the baby boom generation, and the political and economic changes in regard to the rapidly aging U.S. population. Focuses on entitlements such as social security and Medicare. Seeks to broaden national discourse on the aging of the baby boom cohorts through basic questions and clarification of…

Discusses changes in the profile of older Americans and public policy regarding older Americans. Asserts that traditional age-based health and social service policies have increasingly moved in the direction of functional means testing, through the use of activities-of-daily-living scales and similar mechanisms. Also notes renewed pressure in…

Has two principle thrusts: a reflection on the graying of American society and a perspective on its implications for social work education. Calls for social work educators to reassess their role in contributing to society and individuals dealing with the issues of aging. Discusses the phenomenon of the "third age" of members of society.…

Uses Cronbach's alpha and correlational methods, including factor analysis, to evaluate the performance of four short scales measuring psychosocial aspects of well-being (depression, quality of life, sense of coherence, social support) in two samples of community-dwelling persons ages 75 and over. All scales exhibited good range, high internal…