Describes a model developed at Ithaca College to increase the exposure of secondary school students to information on the aging population. College faculty and social studies teachers collaborated on the program to develop lesson plans that infused information on aging into social studies courses. The success of the partnership allowed for…

The adult cerebral cortex can adapt to environmental change. Using monocular deprivation as a paradigm, we find that rapid experience-dependent plasticity exists even in the mature primary visual cortex. However, adult cortical plasticity differs from developmental plasticity in two important ways. First, the effect of adult, but not juvenile…

In gerontology and geriatrics, learning often requires both the acquisition of new facts and a change in attitude towards elderly persons. Games, in addition to stimulating a desire to learn, are powerful instruments to change attitudes. This paper introduces games currently being used by the Gateway Geriatric Education Center to teach…

A communication and aging course could potentially enhance both gerontological care providers' understanding of older persons' communication needs, and the older students' communication proficiency. Regardless of the theory of social adaption to aging that the course embraces--disengagement, activity-personality, social exchange, or fundamental…

This report provides information on the content, impact, and characteristics of over 50 model intergenerational programs across the United States. It is organized along a continuum starting with programs involving the most physically capable and mobile persons and moving toward those in which the older person is in increasing need of support and…

Although informal assessments of caregiver training and support groups have been positive, empirical evidence of their beneficial impact is needed. To evaluate a group program for families of elderly parents, a pre/postmeasure, experimental/control group design was implemented. Adults participating in two workshops on "Your Aging…

The purpose of this unit is to provide activities to help 7-12 grade students understand some of the physical handicaps and social problems that the elderly must face. The unit, designed to be used in six class sessions, is arranged into two parts. In the first, students vicariously experience what it is like to have some physical handicaps that…

The program upon which this paper is based, Developing an Aging Curriculum, was initiated as a pilot project to assess the appropriateness of introducing aging information and concepts to elementary-age students. Seventeen teachers in grades K-6 in one school district have been involved in the project as part of a graduate course. The project was…

Older adults have specific physical education needs that should be addressed by physical educators. As the need for programs increases, physical educators must be trained to use research to set standards for safe and effective participation. (FG)

Evaluated the impact of adding a brief unit on aging to the first-year curriculum of a school of osteopathic medicine. Analyses revealed a mild but significant improvement in knowledge and attitudes with respect to the elderly. Subjective responses to the program were very positive. (Author)

Investigates paranoia in older adults. In cross-sectional analyses, symptoms were strongly associated with black race, lower income and education, less exercise, and more depressive symptoms. In longitudinal analysis, three years following initial interview, symptoms were predicted by baseline paranoid symptoms, education and depressive symptoms…

To help dispel myths and stereotypes about the elderly, young children should learn about the elderly and the aging process. Children need to see old age as a part of the total life cycle and can benefit from having contact with senior citizens volunteers in the classroom. (MDM)

A National Institute on Aging-funded pilot project to study advice-giving by older adult mothers to their middle-aged daughters was undertaken in a medium-sized teaching-intensive university. The student body and community are highly diverse, and many undergraduates are first-generation college students. In this context, undergraduate psychology…

Service-learning is increasingly becoming an avenue used in a variety of disciplines to provide students with real-life experience regarding aging and older adults. Developing and implementing meaningful service-learning experiences, however, requires consideration both of the discipline-specific content to be addressed, as well as the varied…

The development of gerontological education is lagging behind in Japan in spite of Japan's large population of elders. Nevertheless, there are signs that this may be changing. In this paper we discuss how gerontology education has evolved in Japan over the past 40 years. Specifically, we provide an overview of the development of academic societies…