Given its rapidly-aging population, the U.S. needs a workforce that is informed about and capable of meeting the diverse needs of older adults. Students pursing gerontology education may feel unsure of career opportunities as they enter a job market with traditionally clearly-defined disciplinary backgrounds. The goal of this study was to explore…

Community college students were involved in conducting a research project entitled "Life Stories of Chinese American Family Caregivers." They recruited Chinese American family caregivers and collected their life stories of providing care to family members of old age. Students were asked to provide reflections on their experience with the…

Human service students were surveyed ("N" = 207) to determine their perceptions about homeless elders and communal responsibility for their well-being. Using a backward regression analysis, a final model ("F" = 15.617, "df" = 7, "p" < 0.001) for Perceptions about Homeless Persons and Community…

The international community is facing the pressure of aging societies. In the United States of America, we will shortly be facing the aging of baby boomers, a dramatically large population expected to peak as senior citizens in 2030 at 70 million. Global societies are facing a crisis: lack of adequately trained and emotionally oriented personnel…

Human services educators must address the issue of students' bias toward older adults to encourage interest and meet the growing need for professionals in the field. The use of literature can challenge students' preconceptions of older adults while innovative teaching methods can guide their development of more tolerant views and introduce them to…

Human service professionals regularly do not recognize the symptoms of substance abuse in older populations and are unlikely to provide intervention. In this study, human service students (N = 242) were given one of three vignettes in which the main character was an 80-year-old man, an 80-year-old woman, or they were asked to imagine themselves at…

Responses from 64 participants in a forum on coalition building for elderly people with developmental disabilities showed increased awareness of the needs of this population and more networking with service providers. More lasting coalitions were reported by only 15. Local leadership and involvement to sustain coalitions are needed. (SK)

This article describes an online course developed and currently offered at Middle Tennessee State University. Considering the statistics of family caregivers, their needs, and students and human service professionals education, the author demonstrates the necessity of such courses and their benefits. The author also considers the standards for…

Evidence-based practice integrates research and practice through such techniques as precisely defining practice problems, conducting efficient literature searches, selecting the best information from searches, applying rules of evidence to test its validity, and extracting and applying practice implications. (SK)

Human services agencies (n=24) responded to a survey about services for the elderly. Agency workers did not have negative perceptions of university-agency collaboration in service provision, but did not understand how such collaboration could improve services in light of increased demand due to population trends. (SK)

Discusses a method of teaching human development through the use of writing journals and reading the novels of May Sarton. Uses excerpts from students' journals to highlight the process by which human service workers begin to overcome the distance between their worlds and the worlds of the elderly with whom they will work. (Author)

Discusses the origins of the University of Oregon's 20-year-old Center for Gerontology, focusing on the center's accomplishments. Discusses the center's current design, including both the continuities and the changes that have characterized its development. (Author/BH)

Students preparing for rural gerontology practice must be aware of the following issues: diversity of rural areas, influx of urbanites, slow acceptance of human services, need to learn local language and culture, and lack of separation between professional and personal roles. Most important is the fact that, in rural areas, authority is based on…

Data from 214 students in adult development and aging classes (117 participated in service learning) indicated that service learning did not seem to affect social values, civic attitudes, or achievement. It did result in improved understanding of course concepts, dispelled myths about aging, and reinforced career choices. (SK)

Psychological services are largely unavailable for older people who want help in coping with their interpersonal problems. The Continuum Center of Oakland University selects, trains, and supervises older men and women, who serve as paraprofessional group leaders in a self-exploration program offered in a variety of community centers. Paper…