Course: Social Work 790: Introduction to Gerontology G 3 (Cross Listed as Allied Med 790) (Required Course)

Quarter: Fall

Faculty: Virginia Richardson, Ph.D.

Thirteen percent of the US population is over age 65, and by 2030 this age group will comprise 20% of the population. About one-third of our health care resources will be devoted to caring for older persons and many in the health care fields will be working with older adults on a regular basis. Social scientists and social workers also will confront many psychological and social issues related to aging.

This class introduces students to the critical issues, theories, and knowledge needed to understand and work with older persons in the 21st century. The complexity of older persons’ lives demands that gerontology scholars and practitioners consider aging from multiple perspectives, multiple disciplines, and multiple levels. You will study gerontology from an interdisciplinary perspective in this course, and take into account biological, psychological, social psychological, and sociological issues in aging. The intent is to provide students with a broad introduction to the field of gerontology and a foundation for which students can study late life in greater depth in other courses in the Graduate Interdisciplinary Specialization in Aging.

Course: Allied Med 791: Case Studies in Clinical Gerontology (Required Course)

Quarter: Winter

Faculty: Margaret H. Teaford, Ph.D.

Prerequisite: Social Work 790: Introduction to Gerontology or Permission of Instructor)

This course is designed for graduate and professional students who are planning to work with older adults in both community and institutional settings. Students from different disciplines explore clinical and social issues of an interdisciplinary nature on micro and macro levels. The course is designed to study individual and family issues as well as public policy related to aging. The course primarily uses case studies as a teaching tool for interdisciplinary teams. Classes use a problem-centered, student-centered approach as opposed to straight lectures by the instructor. Professionals working in the field will also participate in class discussion about current problems and inter-agency solutions.

Course: COM&PH 700.04A: Interprofessional Seminar in Clinical Practice U G 3 or 5**

Quarter: Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer

Faculty: Catherine R. Lucey, M.D.

(Contact Linda Mauger at 293-8031 approximately one month prior to quarter to arrange registration and placement.)

(Students may select either COM&PH 700.04A or Social Work 797/Anthropology 820.18 to Complete Core Requirements)

This course is designed to provide graduate and professional students with a transdisciplinary clinical experience participating in the care of older adults. Community placement opportunities are provided across the continuum of care with a broad variety of health and social service providers.

Through this course students experience the breadth, scope and importance of clinical gerontology in helping older adults function as independently as possible. By combining the skills, knowledge, and perspective of both academic and community health and social service providers, this transdisciplinary course provides students with training to meet the needs of the burgeoning older population. The focus of the course is on obtaining the skills, knowledge, and attitudes necessary for the delivery of services in an interprofessional team setting.

Course: Social Work 797 Research Issues in Gerontology (Cross-listed as Anthropology 820.18)

Quarter: Spring

Faculty: SW 797: Virginia Richards, Ph.D. / Anth 820.18: Douglas E. Crews, Ph.D.

(Students may select either COM&PH 700.04A or Social Work 797/Anthropology 820.18 to Complete Core Requirements)

Research Issues in Gerontology is designed to explore the interface between research and practice issues in gerontology and geriatrics. This is accomplished by examining evolutionary theories of senescence, the biology of aging, including proximate theories of aging, variation in aging processes, including normative and normal aging, and the genetic and molecular basis of aging. This background aids in understanding clinical variation in aging, age-related disease, environmental interactions, socio-cultural and psychosocial aspects of aging, the demography of aging, and concepts of vitality and frailty. This provides data and ideas for examining research designs, preventions and interventions, life style factors, and clinical aspects of aging and variation across populations and ethnic groups in senescence using a problem-based learning framework.