Introduction: The authors of this paper base their research on the following assumption: the development of both geragogic education (older adult education) and profession is conditioned by the existence of a study program of geragogy provided by departments of geragogy created at universities (as public institutions of higher education). The fact…

There continues to be lack of public awareness about elder abuse. To help address this issue, we developed and piloted an elder abuse peer educator training program from an educational gerontology and health empowerment perspective. We describe the process employed to train older adults as peer educators. We present evaluation results from data…

This article discusses the results of a school of social work survey assessing the geriatric training needs of social workers and other professionals in aging and the need for a gerontology practitioner's continuing education (CE) certificate program. A total of 391 professionals, the majority of whom were social workers, participated in an online…

For over three decades, there has been considerable discussion about the development of gerontology education in the United States. A debate about accreditation is a logical outgrowth in this evolution. The dialogue about accreditation raises some important questions and gives gerontology an opportunity to further define itself. Accreditation…

Economic and political trends underscore the importance of engaged scholarship as evidence that colleges and universities are serving their constituencies. Set in a background of debate about pure versus applied social science this article describes a planned approach to continuing gerontological education grounded firmly in the principles of the…

The aim of this study was to develop and validate an assessment tool for research consent competence in older participants. A four-item instrument was developed to assess the capacity of the older adults to consent to research. Data were obtained from 203 nursing home residents from two facilities and 201 community-dwelling older adults in a…

Little is known about the organization, characteristics or services offered by academic interdisciplinary gerontology centers located in higher education institutions. This article presents a description and an emerging typology of academic interdisciplinary gerontology centers based on information collected from the Websites of 47 centers. The…

A survey of music programs at residential and nursing homes for the aged in Maryland was conducted. The findings are described and implications for developing successful music programs for older adults are discussed. Resources are listed. (KC)

Designed for college administrators, this guide provides a synthesis of a broad spectrum of approaches to creating gerontology courses and curricula. First, an introductory chapter looks at reasons for developing a gerontological curricula, potential audiences for such a program (i.e., health care providers, other caregivers, older adults, and…

This project was designed to aid trainers and educators in the field of aging in the identification of useful current training resources. Project goals include: (1) developing and refining a review format for evaluating training resources in aging; (2) selecting "high demand" training resources for evaluation; (3) training specialists in the field…

These proceedings are intended for use by educators, trainers, and others with responsibility for developing short-term educational programs in the field of aging. The articles are practical tools containing a wealth of concepts and suggestions for designing conferences, workshops, and short courses on aging. The articles were developed or…

Written for both professionals and lay persons working with the development and education of older adults, this book addresses issues of aging, expectations for aged persons, and the means to respond in practical and educationally sound ways to the changing needs of older adults. The book is organized in four parts. Part I introduces the world of…

A statewide survey of elementary and secondary teachers in Texas indicates that little attention is currently given to direct teaching about aging or to integrating this content area into the school curriculum. The following questions were asked: (1) To what extent is aging incorporated into the public school curricula? (2) Would increased…

This article presents an overview of the use of adjunct faculty generally and within gerontology programs and discusses the benefits, drawbacks and possible solutions for both adjunct faculty and gerontology programs to utilize part-time teaching staff. The benefits reported for being a part-time faculty member include wanting to be in academia…

A project was proposed to expand the gerontology program at Rancho High School (Las Vegas, Nevada) into the area of food services for the aged. Development of a course in food services for the elderly would meet the students' needs for field experiences and entry-level job skills. Objectives of the proposed program included the following: (1)…