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…

Discusses a review of geriatric and gerontology service, teaching, and research. Lists major characteristics of the service programs and further aims for medical education in geriatrics. (Author/ABB)

Although the suicide rates of people over 60 continue to be consistently higher than those of younger age groups, relatively little research has scrutinized the phenomenon of geriatric suicide. Recent research is summarized and reviewed. Suggestions are offered for the direction and scope of future research. (Author)

Mental health needs of older persons are projected to grow significantly over the course of the next years. Consequently, the need for training counselors to work with the aging population is presented. Addressed are 4 curriculum models, as well as areas of training related to geriatric counseling, that can be incorporated into counselor training…

This manual for trainers provides a suggested course, along with background programming information, for personnel delivering recreation services to the homebound elderly. After assessing current needs, steps involved in the development of a homebound recreation program are considered along with agency administrative concerns. The actual planning…

The future of geriatric education is mixed, with an increase in social recognition and support, but with uncertain public funding and reluctant acceptance by conservative clinical schools and professions. The recognition of the importance of integrated health care will support interdisciplinary education but strong vested interests in disciplinary…

The humanistic instructional strategies employed in a retirement education program package represent a previously untried and viable alternative to traditional instructional strategies. A heuristic evaluation study measured pilot program participants' reactions to several aspects of the program package; 74 percent responded favorably and 93…

A program was designed to extend experience of residents and medical students rotating through Family Practice Center in the care of older patients. This educational experience was based on a group of representative geriatric cases at a nursing home and included paramedical personnel in service and educational elements. (Author)

Despite the increasing public demand for enhanced care of older patients and those with life-threatening illness, health professionals have had limited formal education in geriatrics and palliative care. Furthermore, formal education in interdisciplinary team training is limited. In order to remedy this situation, proactive interventions are being…

In gerontology and geriatrics, learning often requires both the acquisition of new facts and a change in attitude towards elderly persons. Games, in addition to stimulating a desire to learn, are powerful instruments to change attitudes. This paper introduces games currently being used by the Gateway Geriatric Education Center to teach…

This handbook is designed for use by personnel delivering recreation services to the homebound elderly. It helps the staff members discover more about recreational activities suitable to a specific client's needs, selection of activities, and the methods of introducing activities to the homebound. Assessment techniques aid the worker in learning…

Data on dental faculty involvement in geriatric programs, didactic and clinical academic curricula, and other aspects of ongoing geriatric educational activities in dental schools are reported and the prospects for future activities are discussed. (Author/MSE)

Results are reported from 2 common measures of medical student attitudes toward older adults: Maxwell-Sullivan Attitude Survey (MSAS); and UCLA Geriatrics Attitude Survey (GAS), with students entering the University of South Carolina School of Medicine (USCSM) in the period 2000--2005. A reliability analysis incorporating item means, Cronbach's…

To evaluate whether formally trained geriatricians remain in the field of Geriatrics, and to determine their job satisfaction and perceived quality of life, we surveyed the 107 fellows trained over the last 25 years in one accredited geriatric program. Of the 88 physicians who consented to participate, 75% devoted at least half of their practice…

Directors of California State University (CSU) gerontology, geriatrics, and aging studies (GGA) academic programs were surveyed regarding CSU capacity to fulfill demographic and legislative mandates to prepare professional personnel for work with the state's aging population. Program directors affirmed the importance of providing GGA education and…