The population of older adults is growing rapidly and there will be an increased need for psychological services for this population. Current estimates indicate a significant workforce gap such that all psychologists, regardless of specialty area, will likely be called upon to work with older adults. Education and experience in the care of older…

With global increases in the population of older adults, there is a critical need for interdisciplinary collaboration to address the complexities of aging. Interdisciplinary research is well suited to facilitate trainee development; this venue provides opportunities for engagement in collaborative projects and networks, positioning trainees to…

China's elderly population is on the rise, and there is a growing need for improved education for professionals in geriatric health care and management. "Age-Friendly Interior Design" is a mandatory component of the curriculum for students majoring in aged care and management. Problem-Based Learning (PBL) has been introduced as an…

The increased number of older adults attributes to a rising need for future professionals to work in geriatric and gerontological fields. Understanding the influence of students' career choices is important. A study applying mixed method including both quantitative and qualitative methods was conducted among students' taking a gerontology course…

The Geriatric Social Work Competency Scale II is the leading measure of students' competency with older adults. Although the 40-item instrument has demonstrated strong internal consistency and congruent validity, the hypothesized four-factor structure has not been tested. We used confirmatory factor analysis with a sample of social work students…

This study was designed to investigate the impacts of self-arranged nursing home observation sessions on healthcare students' attitudes toward older adults. Sixty-seven undergraduate students enrolled in a gerontology course were required to complete an attitudes survey at the beginning and the end of the semester. In addition, they conducted 3…

The importance of gerontology-focused classroom and field education has been emphasized heavily in social work education for decades as the population of older adults continues to expand, as does the need to provide services to support the health and well-being of older adults. Although the need for social workers and other professionals who…

The increase of the US older adult population requires additional professionally trained staff in health and social services. Exposing knowledge and skills of gerontology to address aging competency among student in higher education can better prepare for students' future educational and career planning. The aim of this study is to understand…

The development of educational gerontology (EG) policies in mainland China has gone through two stages, the social welfare stage (1982-2000) and the lifelong learning stage (2001-present), and a rudimentary system of EG provisions and legislation has been formed. Although a system of EG practices in mainland China has also been built under the…

As the number of older adults increases, it is important to understand how attitudes toward aging influence society, the aging process, and the counseling profession. Ageism--defined as social stigma associated with old age or older people--has deleterious effects on older adults' physical health, psychological well-being, and self-perception. In…

Life expectancy is increasing worldwide. Unfortunately, people are generally not prepared for this long life ahead and have ageist attitudes that inhibit maximizing the "longevity dividend" they have been given. Aging education can prepare people for life's later years and combat ageism. It can reimage aging as a time of continued…

Intergenerational service-learning has become an important practice in gerontology and geriatrics education. Although numerous benefits of service-learning have been documented, greater attention to critical reflection, a key component for harvesting the learning in service-learning, is needed to increase our understanding of what students really…

This article describes and discusses a novel academic course founded by the Faculty of Welfare and Health Studies at the University of Haifa, Israel, which tried to establish an alternative interaction between graduate students and older persons as part of its graduate academic program. The course "Social Activism and Old Age: From Exclusion…

Direct caregivers in nursing homes are the certified nursing assistants (CNAs) who provide the majority of hands-on care. This study administered a knowledge instrument to a sample of CNAs () employed at nursing homes in a northeastern city to evaluate their knowledge in the domains of aging, cognition, and mental health. This study found that…

Aging professionals have not always effectively communicated about aging to the general public (Feather, 2015). Due at least in part to this, the public often holds inaccurate, ageist beliefs about older adults and aging services/gerontology has been difficult to promote as a desirable career option (Feather, 2015). The authors address this…