This article reports on the Gerontology Doctoral Student Assessment Model (GDSAM), a comprehensive web-based system premised on developing an evaluation mechanism attuned to the special requirements of advanced graduate education at the doctoral level. The system focuses on longitudinal tracking of selected dimensions of intellectual,…

Purpose: Relative to the overall population, older adults consume a disproportionally large percentage of health care resources. Despite advocacy and efforts initiated more than 30 years ago, the number of providers with specialized training in geriatrics is still not commensurate with the growing population of older adults. This contribution…

Geographical, economic, social and cultural barriers to accessing services in rural areas are widely reported. Less widely discussed are dilemmas posed by individual and community reluctance to address sensitive health issues. This article, focusing on the highly sensitive area of mental health, and employing a participatory action approach,…

A gerontology doctoral program used the concepts of homeostasis and complexity to present biomedical and psychosocial issues. Data from 14 students showed that homeostasis was more useful for biomedical than psychosocial issues. Complexity helped in understanding interactions between the two. (SK)

Basic understanding of research methods is appropriate for associate degree gerontology education. Undergraduates need introduction to issues involved in elder research. Masters' students should develop in-depth understanding of gerontology research methods; doctoral students require knowledge and ability to apply methods. (Contains 24…

Used a four-year participant observation study of 15 older adults in an Appalacian town to explore the tensions between factors that encourage relocation to the homes of children who moved outside the area and the inertia caused by reluctance to give up a familiar lifestyle and local friends. (JAC)