Seasoned geriatric community health workers offered valuable data that will inform educators and community health workers working with older persons. Geriatric community health workers' views about retirement and about facilitators and barriers that keep them engaged with older adults during retirement were identified. Twenty geriatric community…

In contemporary Western societies, the aging population poses new challenges both to the policies and to the support systems for older persons. In Portugal, where the phenomena have a major impact, a new professional profile, the gerontologist, has emerged. These professionals have an academic background that corresponds to the 1st cycle degree at…

Most research on attitudes toward older adults does not address subgroups of older adults. This study evaluated whether attitudes among undergraduates towards older professionals were more positive than those toward older adults in general. A 2 x 2 factorial design with the covariate of knowledge of aging was used with measures from two attitude…

Effective communication is the core of every helping relationship. Trained and experienced gerontology counselors bring skillful listening, the gift of reframing, the ability to suspend judgment, experience with confidentiality and ethics, and the ability to seek solutions and think of possibilities to the evolving field of life coach. Therefore,…

With the aging workforce and the increase of older adults, educational needs of the workforce in aging services are broadening. The pilot study used a survey to examine the types of educational opportunities and needs of professionals providing services to older adults in eastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania. Respondents (25.9%) reported learning…

This study aimed to determine the educational needs of members of the public and related professional disciplines in order to improve health literacy in elderly issues. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2007; 2,694 subjects were recruited from the noninstitutional Hong Kong population aged 16 years and over. Undergraduate students of…

Identifies roles of the gerontologist and conceptualizes the field to add clarity and understanding to the complex array of contemporary events. Topics include a brief description of the background that produced educational gerontology; a definition and clarification of the term; and identification of current and future roles for educational…

Production, dissemination and utilization, and functions of higher education institutions are examined with reference to appropriate tasks related to gerontological education and training. Matrices dealing with one component of educational gerontology and the three functions provide a model for allocating resources and identifying appropriate…

Data indicate that existing levels of specialized gerontological education are low, but that practitioners are supportive of further training and increased professionalism. Practitioners are receptive to efforts to increase gerontological knowledge and professionalism. However, the question of desirability of increased professionalism is raised.…

Focuses on problems associated with program development for older adults. Dangers are exemplified by the inability of program designers to share expertise. Territoriality becomes central in determining who should develop and implement programs for and about older people. Collaborative efforts between gerontologists and educators are suggested to…

This study investigated age preferences for 11 different service providers and the age at which workers in these occupational roles were considered to be "too old" by three age groups: young (18-24), middle-aged (35-55), and older adults (65+). Results indicate that in comparison to middle-aged and older adults, young adults continue to have…

Determined the relationship between amount of formal coursework in the field of aging and degree of positive attitude demonstrated by professional workers in gerontological settings. Data showed that the more years a person works in the field the stronger the commitment to the aging field. (Author)

Described a statewide project to plan, design, and implement an ongoing training network for inservice education of professionals working in the field of aging. A system of interorganizational relationships has proven effective in bridging the gap between acquisition of knowledge and application in delivery of services and development of policy.…

Public education about memory was evaluated with a controlled intervention trial. Participants in group 1 (n = 273) attended a symposium covering memory-related topics and received a magazine with identical information. Group 2 (n = 141) only received the magazine. Participants were nonprofessionals and professionals aged between 29 and 88.…

Describes a statewide training needs assessment based on joint state agency and university planning. Sample findings are presented for both the statewide population and various job function groupings. Differences in expressed training needs across job function groups are examined, and strategies for providing effective and efficient training are…