The evaluation results of the Orthogeriatric Unit at Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria Hospital, Tenerife, Canary Islands, are set out in this paper. The fundamental aim has been the assessment of comprehensive rehabilitation and the improvement of quality of life, which would allow a faster discharge process for patients over 65 years of age. A…

Community advisory boards (CABs) have been used to improve research outcomes involving specific communities and populations, including older adults. There is potential to synergize the use of CABs to encompass both research activities and the education of healthcare professionals to help meet increasing demands for a geriatric healthcare workforce…

Introduction: Care for the frail elderly is often provided by several professionals. Collaboration between them is essential, but remains difficult to achieve. Interprofessional education (IPE) can improve this collaboration. We developed a 9-hour IPE program for primary care professionals from 7 disciplines caring for the frail elderly, and aimed…

The education mission of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is to train health professionals to benefit VA and the United States. One approach for achieving that mission, along with VA's research and clinical missions, was the establishment of Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Centers (GRECCs) in 1975. These were developed at VA…

The University of Saskatchewan's Longitudinal Elderly Person Shadowing (LEPS) is an interprofessional senior mentors program (SMP) where teams of undergraduate students in their first year of medicine, pharmacy, and physiotherapy; 2nd year of nutrition; 3rd year nursing; and 4th year social work partner with community-dwelling older adults.…

Few gerontology and geriatrics professionals receive training in driver fitness evaluation, state reporting of unfit drivers, or transportation mobility planning yet are often asked to address these concerns in the provision of care to older adults. The American Medical Association (AMA) developed an evidence-based, multi-media Curriculum to…

The current study evaluated barriers to detection of depression among older people. Focus groups were conducted with 21 professional carers, 4 nurses, 10 general practitioners, and 7 aged care managers. The results demonstrated that care for older people is primarily focused on physical care. Further, staff resources, a lack of continuity of care,…

This article describes recent trends that have led to an emphasis on a learner-centered approach to gerontology and geriatrics education especially in distance-based education. A learner-centered approach to education has combined with technological advances to stimulate distance-enhanced education for students in geriatric and gerontology…

To meet the special needs of and provide quality health care to nursing home residents, the health care workforce must be knowledgeable about the aging process. Health professionals are minimally prepared in their academic programs to care for older adults, and few programs have required rotations in geriatrics. Teaching nursing homes (TNHs) have…

This paper describes a Geriatric Health Professionals Mentoring Program designed to address recruitment and retention of health professionals in geriatrics and gerontology. The training provided information on the mentoring process, negotiating mentoring agreements, and coaching mentees. The evaluative framework described examines: (a) the effects…

Examined preferences of 275 health care providers for working with elderly patients exhibiting symptoms of normal aging or diseases. In comparing descriptions of two hospitalized patients, physicians, nurses and social workers expressed a preference for working with patients with disease symptoms, raising concerns about geriatric care. (JAC)

Health care workers at eight sites were trained to serve on interdisciplinary geriatric care teams. Challenges included differing levels of experience and geriatric knowledge, discipline specific-language and practice philosophies, and scheduling conflicts. Techniques to overcome them included case studies, standardized patients, cross-discipline…

Social and academic values emphasizing individualism, competition, and unidisciplinary thinking affect the development of interdisciplinary programs. Interdisciplinary health care teams must be concerned with interprofessional and professional-client relationships and shared team values, which should be addressed in gerontological and geriatric…

Responses from 159 of 837 health and mental health professionals in Alaska showed the following: (1) 54% said community services for the aging were inadequate; (2) 55% felt health professionals' knowledge of aging was insufficient; and (3) 91.8% needed further training in aging and geriatrics, especially regarding mental health and Alzheimer's…

This paper describes a Geriatric Health Professionals Mentoring Program designed to address recruitment and retention of health professionals in geriatrics and gerontology. The training provided information on the mentoring process, negotiating mentoring agreements, and coaching mentees. The evaluative framework described examines: (a) the effects…