Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are difficult to detect in old age. This study examined if ASD symptoms in older adults (age > 60) can be detected with the Dutch informant personality questionnaire, (Hetero-Anamnestische Persoonlijkheidsvragenlijst, HAP) in a mental health setting. Patients with ASD (N = 40) were compared to patients with a…

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…

Although several interprofessional education projects have addressed training allied health students for effective teamwork in geriatrics, few curriculum evaluation studies have examined differences in learning outcomes between interprofessional and traditional uniprofessional approaches, especially for social work students. This paper compares…

Much research examines the professional nursing practices of traditional and modern caregivers, but it remains unclear whether the delivery of extra-required services is diminished as the caregiver moves from traditional to modern community. Building on the classical works of sociologists Ferdinand Tonnies, Max Weber, and Emile Durkheim, this…

Community physicians should be knowledgeable of basic geriatrics to cope with the challenges posed by the growing number of older patients and their complex needs. A survey of knowledge in basic health care for elderly persons, carried out by our team in 1996, revealed that it was insufficient. The authors repeated this survey in 2006, by using…

This study tested the reliability and validity of the Carolina Opinions on Care of Older Adults (COCOA) survey compared with the Geriatric Assessment Survey (GAS). Participants were first year medical students (n = 160). A Linear Structural Relations (LISREL) measurement model for COCOA had a moderately strong fit that was significantly better…

The objective was to identify the predictors of length of stay--the impact of age, comorbidity, and stroke subtype--on the outcome of geriatric stroke patients. One hundred and seventy stroke patients (129 first-ever ischemic, 25 hemorrhagic, and 16 ischemic second strokes) were included in the study. The Oxfordshire Community Stroke Project…

This study examined first-year medical student attitudes concerning the elderly before and after instituting a geriatric mentoring program. The program began and ended with a survey designed to assess students' attitudes toward the elderly. During the mentoring program, students visited the same senior for four visits throughout the academic year.…

This study assesses how effective classroom sessions are at teaching geriatric competencies to medical students. At Stony Brook Medical School, most geriatric competencies are taught in the Ambulatory Care Clerkship during small-group educational sessions. Clinical exposure to reinforce these specialized skills varies with preceptor assignment. A…

There has been recent international concern that the teaching of geriatrics may be in decline. Research has suggested that support for geriatrics in national undergraduate curricula is the key to effective delivery of teaching in the specialty. We set out to determine the geriatric medicine content in the U.K. generic curriculum, reviewing this in…

Objective: There is a critical need for new researchers in psychiatry, including subspecialties such as geriatric psychiatry. Many existing research training programs focus on post-doctoral-level trainees and involve several years of hands-on research with experienced mentors at major universities. Although valuable, such programs have some…

The Geriatric Function Score Scale was developed for the elderly. It is an objective tool that examines physical, cognitive, and motivational components of functioning. Results of a preliminary study revealed that the score patients received was able to discriminate the level of placement they would need upon hospital discharge. (Author/CH)

Examined the impact of geriatric day care and homemaker services on patient outcomes. It was found that there were significant differences in physical functioning and activity level for the day care samples and in physical functioning and contentment level for the homemaker study sample. (Author)

Results of a study showed: a one-month geriatrics rotation had only a slight positive effect on the attitude of interns toward care of the elderly; senior residents felt they had adequate exposure to geriatric medicine; and attitudes toward care of the elderly changed little during residency. (MLW)

Evaluated behavioral and cognitive methods, relative to control condition, for treating 27 elderly insomniacs. Both treatment methods produced significant improvement on main outcome measure of awakening duration. Stimulus control yielded higher improvement rates than either imagery training or control condition on awakening duration and total…