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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 provides a contemporary update on the status of geriatric education and explores how geriatric coverage is valued, how geriatric competence is defined, and how students are evaluated for geriatric competencies. Design and Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with curriculum representatives from 7 health profession disciplines in a case study of one academic medical center. Findings: Geriatric training varies across health professions' disciplines. Although participants recognized the unique needs of older patients and valued geriatric coverage, they identified shortage of time in packed curricula, lack of geriatrics-trained educators, absence of financial incentive, and low student demand (resulting from limited exposure to older adults and gerontological stereotyping) as barriers to improving geriatric training. Implications: Progress in including geriatric training within curricula across the health professions continues to lag behind need as a result of the continuing presence of barriers identified several decades ago. There remains an urgent need for institutional commitment to enhance geriatric education as a component of health professions curricula.

Little research has focused on the risk factors, effects, and experiences of compassion fatigue among gerontological social workers. This qualitative study explores the experiences and perspectives of nine Adult Protective Services (APS) social workers in relation to compassion fatigue. Results show that the APS social workers combined personal characteristics and professional factors to develop boundary-setting mechanisms that protected them from experiencing the deleterious symptoms and effects of compassion fatigue. Implications center around the elements needed to implement boundaries in order to maintain a separation between the work and home environment. Suggestions for future research are provided.

Purpose of the Study: The effects of the physical-spatial-technical environment on aging well have been overlooked both conceptually and empirically. In the spirit of M. Powell Lawton's seminal work on aging and environment, this article attempts to rectify this situation by suggesting a new model of how older people interact with their environment. Design and Methods: Goals of the paper include (a) integration of the essential elements of the ecology and aging literature, particularly in regard to Lawton's research, (b) development of connections between traditional theories of ecology of aging and life span developmental models of aging well, (c) acknowledgment of the pronounced historical and cohort-related changes affecting the interactions of older people with their environment, and (d) discussion of the implications of this analysis for concepts and theories of aging well. Results: The model builds on a pair of concepts: environment as related to agency and belonging, founded in motivational psychology, and developmental science. Implications: After describing the model's key components, we discuss its heuristic potential in four propositions for future gerontological research and identify implications of the model for future empirical research.

Until relatively recently, most psychologists have had limited professional involvement with older adults. With the baby boomers starting to turn 65 years old in 2011, sheer numbers of older adults will continue to increase. About 1 in 5 older adults has a mental disorder, such as dementia. Their needs for mental and behavioral health services are not now adequately met, and the decade ahead will require an approximate doubling of the current level of psychologists' time with older adults. Public policy in the coming decade will face tensions between cost containment and facilitation of integrated models of care. Most older adults who access mental health services do so in primary care settings, where interdisciplinary, collaborative models of care have been found to be quite effective. To meet the needs of the aging population, psychologists need to increase awareness of competencies for geropsychology practice and knowledge regarding dementia diagnosis, screening, and services. Opportunities for psychological practice are anticipated to grow in primary care, dementia and family caregiving services, decision-making-capacity evaluation, and end-of-life care. Aging is an aspect of diversity that can be integrated into psychology education across levels of training. Policy advocacy for geropsychology clinical services, education, and research remains critical. Psychologists have much to offer an aging society. (Contains 1 table.)

This study investigates possible relationships among motivational and learning variables (interest, self-efficacy and self-regulation) and three types of student engagement (behavioural engagement, emotional engagement and cognitive engagement) in a distance education setting. Participants were 203 students enrolled in online classes in the fall semester of 2008 in the Schools of Gerontology and Engineering at a large research university in the south-western USA, who completed an online survey assessing their levels of situational interest, computer self-efficacy, self-regulation and engagement in distance education. Situational interest and self-regulation were found to be significantly correlated with three types of engagement (behavioural, emotional and cognitive), while computer self-efficacy did not appear to be associated with any of those engagement variables. Results suggested that online activities and tools such as multimedia and discussion boards may increase emotional engagement in online learning, although they do not necessarily increase behavioural or cognitive engagement, that educators should identify students who are taking online courses for the first time and provide necessary technical help to increase their emotional engagement, and that it is important for educators to offer students strategies for increasing their self-regulation in distance education environments.

Purpose of the study: To explore short-form versions of World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-OLD) with acceptable psychometric properties, which was developed for older adults by the WHOQOL research group, containing 24 items initially. Design and Methods: We randomly sampled two-thirds of respondents from the data of WHOQOL-OLD field study (N = 5,566), as a developmental sample, and the remaining third as a validation sample. Three approaches (item response theory [IRT] and regression analysis [REG], classical test theory [CTT] and REG, and CTT and IRT and REG) were performed to develop three short-form scales with six items each using the developmental sample. The reliability and criterion validity of the three short-form scales were evaluated using the validation sample. Results: The version 1 of short-form scales contained items 6, 11, 12, 16, 20, and 21; version 2 contained items 2, 6, 11, 12, 17, and 22; and version 3 contained items 4, 6, 17, 19, 20, and 24. The correlation coefficient between the total scores of the three versions and WHOQOL-OLD were 0.918, 0.925, and 0.922, respectively. The internal consistency reliability coefficients of the three versions were 0.681, 0.678, and 0.649, respectively. Implications: The three versions of short-form WHOQOL-OLD contained the best items of the original module, much shorter, and with good internal consistency and criterion validity as a whole.

Purpose of the study: The primary aim of this investigation was to determine whether caregiver confidence in their care recipients' functional capabilities predicts changes in the performance of activities of daily living (ADL) among elderly home care recipients. A secondary aim was to explore how caregiver confidence and care recipient functional self-efficacy jointly influence changes in ADL performance over time. Design and Methods: The sample included 5,138 elderly recipients of home and community-based long-term care in Michigan. ADL performance was assessed multiple times over a 2-year period. Caregiver confidence was measured at baseline with a single item. Multilevel modeling was used to estimate the effect of caregiver confidence on changes in ADL performance over time, controlling for baseline self-efficacy, ADL performance, and other factors that might confound the relationship. Based on caregiver confidence and elder self-efficacy, we created 4 groups of elder caregiver dyads to explore the combined effect of caregiver and elder confidence on change in ADL performance. Results: Elders whose caregivers were confident in their capacity for greater functional independence experienced greater improvement in ADL performance than those whose caregivers were not confident. Elders in dyads in which both members expressed confidence experienced more improvement in ADL performance than those in dyads in which either one or both members lacked confidence. Implications: Interventions to strengthen caregivers' confidence in their care recipients' functional capabilities may slow functional losses among home care elders. Additional research is needed to confirm these findings and identify the factors that influence caregiver confidence.

Purpose of the Study: Stanford's Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP) has been proven to increase patients' ability to manage distress. We describe how we replicated CDSMP in Asian and Pacific Islander (API) communities. Design and Methods: We used the "track changes" tool to deconstruct CDSMP into its various components (e.g., recruitment and staffing) and the "adaptation traffic light" to identify allowable modifications to the original program. We monitored local leaders' fidelity of delivery of CDSMP and tracked participants' attendance, satisfaction, and 6-month outcomes. Results: Between July 2007 and February 2010, 584 completed a CDSMP workshop. Baseline and 6-month data were available for 422 (72%), including 53 Caucasians, 177 Asians, and 194 Pacific Islanders. All 3 groups realized significant decreases in social and role activity limitations and significant increases in communication with physicians. Asians and Pacific Islanders also realized significant increases in self-rated health and time spent engaging in stretching/strengthening exercise. Asians also reported significant reductions in health distress and self-reported physician visits and increases in time spent in aerobic exercise, ability to cope with symptoms, and self-efficacy. Implications: Our experience suggests that CDSMP can be modified for increased cultural appropriateness for API communities while maintaining the key components responsible for behavior change.

Purpose of the study: The Alpert Medical School of Brown University began to integrate geriatrics content into all preclerkship courses and key clerkship cases as part of a major medical school curriculum redesign in 2006. This study evaluates students' responses to geriatrics integration within the curriculum using journals kept by volunteer preclerkship and clerkship students between 2007 and 2010. The journals were used to assess the quality of curricular integration of geriatrics didactic and clinical content, to gather information for shaping the evolving curriculum, and to elicit students' responses about their professional development and caring for older adults. Design and Methods: Student "journalers" wrote narrative reactions to and evaluations of aging-related content and exposure to older patients in response to written semistructured questions. An interdisciplinary team (including a health services researcher, gerontologist, medical anthropologist, and 2 geriatricians) used qualitative analysis to code the 405 journal entries. Results: The team identified 10 themes within the following domains: (a) evaluation of efforts to integrate geriatrics within the medical school curriculum, (b) recognition and application of geriatrics principles, (c) student attitudes and cultural experiences regarding aging and the care of older patients, and (d) personal and professional development over time. Themes emerging within these domains reflect the effectiveness of geriatrics integration within the new curriculum as well as students' professional development. Implications: Journaling provides a novel and effective method for capturing medical students' responses to curricular content in real time, allowing for midcourse corrections and identifying key components of their professional development.

Initiatives to promote aging in place have emerged rapidly in the United States across various health care settings (e.g., acute care hospitals, skilled nursing facilities) and broader community settings (e.g., public social service agencies). Moreover, recent federal policies include a growing number of provisions for local efforts to promote aging in place. Despite emerging bodies of research that have described singular initiatives in their own right, there has been very little scholarship that forges conceptual linkages across this increasingly vast domain of research, practice, and policy. Integrative theory development is critical to ensure that aging-in-place initiatives do not become fragmented from each other. This article uses insights from ecological frameworks--specifically Urie Bronfenbrenner's bioecological systems theory and M. Powell Lawton's general ecological model of aging--to conceptualize a range of programs as aging-in-place initiatives and for describing their similarities and differences, particularly in terms of the features through which they intend to promote aging in place. Theoretically derived dimensions along which to characterize aging-in-place initiatives include environment-focused aspects (e.g., the types of social systems and structures that the initiatives target for change) and person-focused aspects (e.g., the extent to which the initiatives target particular subgroups of older adults). The article concludes with a discussion on how these theoretically derived dimensions can be used to advance and integrate research, practice, and policy to systematically develop and expand aging-in-place initiatives.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine whether childhood misfortune reduces the likelihood of being disease free in adulthood. Design and Methods: This article used a sample of 3,000+ American adults, aged 25-74, who were first interviewed in 1995 and reinterviewed in 2005. Logistic regression was used to estimate the odds of avoiding disease at the first wave and remaining disease free a decade later. Results: Consistent with a life course view of successful aging, higher levels of childhood misfortune (e.g., abuse, financial strain) are associated with a lower probability of disease avoidance. This pattern was observed across a large set of chronic conditions and in multivariate analyses spanning both waves of the study. Implications: Childhood misfortune has approximately equal consequences for adult disease avoidance as does the combined effect of moderate lifetime smoking and obesity. Efforts to alleviate adverse experiences for children may have long-term benefits for successful aging.

The primary objective of this research was to explore the experiences of undergraduate distance education students using sample audio versions (provided on compact disc) of the learning guides for their courses. The results of this study indicated that students responded positively to the opportunity to have word-for-word audio versions of their printed learning guides. Students found the audio guides functioned as a way to review course content. After careful review of the comments, the researchers found students want access to additional learning tools that elaborate on the written course content and connect them to traditional classroom lectures and discussions. Additional statistical analysis of the data collected in this study demonstrated a difference between traditional-age students (up to 25 years) and mature-age students (older than 25 years) in their response to the audio versions of the learning guides. More of the mature-age students found the audio version of their study guide to be helpful to their learning. The implications for the findings are numerous, including the need to review existing distance course offerings and incorporate additional audio and visual learning tools for undergraduate university students who are studying through distance education. (Contains 1 table.)

The article explores paradigms for approaching course content to be studied in the classroom. These paradigms, or global views about what is of interest or importance and ways of knowing, relate to key questions in gerontology, such as what is the relevant domain/content to be studied, what is the central level of analysis or action, what are appropriate ways to gain knowledge, and how do we best address the challenges related to aging? For interdisciplinary gerontology programs, the discussion of paradigms raises the question of whether learning effectiveness and student satisfaction may suffer when the students are unaware of their own budding gerontological paradigms or when an instructor's paradigm remains unarticulated or differs from those of students. This article discusses selected paradigms inherent within gerontology education/training programs and their diverse foci, two emerging paradigms of gerontology, and potential steps to clarify these paradigms in the classroom. (Contains 2 tables.)

Generativity is a concept first introduced by Erik Erikson as a part of his psychosocial theory which outlines eight stages of development in the human life. Generativity versus stagnation is the main developmental concern of middle adulthood; however, generativity is also recognized as an important theme in the lives of older adults. Building on the work of Erikson, McAdams and de St. Aubin (1992) developed a model explaining the generative process. The aims of this article are: (a) to explore the relationship between generativity and older adults as it appears in research literature; and (b) to examine McAdam's model and use it to explain the role of generativity in older adults who share life stories with gerontology students through an oral history project. (Contains 2 figures.)

Engaged scholarship promotes contribution to the academic body of knowledge through equal partnership between academic scholars and community representatives in education, research, and public service or intervention. Such partnerships can expand our notions of service learning and applied research. In this article, the authors discuss the potential contribution of engaged scholarship to the relevance of gerontological education and research programs. The authors discuss the role of engaged scholarship in the philosophy of education, in the promotion of social justice, and its relevance for the civic responsibility and accountability of educational institutions. Finally, the authors describe benefits and barriers to participation in engaged scholarship and challenges in the recruitment of engaged scholars. (Contains 1 table.)

Education is key to addressing the challenges of providing high-quality care to the ever growing number of people with dementia. Although dementia education is required for multiple professions and disciplines working with people with dementia and their families and friends, there is a gap in knowledge of students' views about university-level online dementia education. This article reports on an evaluation, via an online questionnaire, of student views of the delivery modes and learning impact for the first online postgraduate program in Dementia Studies worldwide. The majority of our respondents (65%) reported their participation in the Dementia Studies program as broadening their thinking, with 61% reporting that it broadened their practice. Students also reported on the utility of initial face-to-face teaching and the extent to which they are able to apply their learning to practice. The article concludes by suggesting that a blended learning approach, comprising online and face-to-face teaching with an emphasis on reflexivity has the potential to meet the global demand for skilled dementia care practitioners and to create leaders in the dementia care field. (Contains 4 tables.)

In an increasingly aging population, a number of adults are concerned about declines in their cognitive abilities. Online computer-based cognitive training programs have been proposed as an accessible means by which the elderly may improve their cognitive abilities; yet, more research is needed in order to assess the efficacy of these programs. In the current study, a commercially available 21-day online computer-based cognitive training intervention was administered to 34 individuals aged between 53 and 75 years. The intervention consisted of computerized training in reaction time, inspection time, short-term memory for words, executive function, visual spatial acuity, arithmetic, visual spatial memory, visual scanning/discrimination, and n-back working memory. An active solitaire control group was also included. Participants were tested at baseline, posttraining and at three-weeks follow-up using a battery of neuropsychological outcome measures. These consisted of simple reaction time, complex reaction time, digit forwards and backwards, spatial working memory, digit symbol substitution, RAVLT, and trail making. Significant improvement in simple reaction time and choice reaction time task was found in the cognitive training group both posttraining and at three-weeks follow-up. However, no significant improvements on the other cognitive tasks were found. The training program was found to be successful in achieving transfer of trained cognitive abilities in speed of processing to similar untrained tasks. (Contains 2 tables and 2 figures.)

This study investigated the efficacy of a gerontology education course in decreasing ageism and aging anxiety and increasing knowledge and interest in working with older adults among undergraduates training for social services careers. Participants completed study measures at the beginning and end of semester. Analyses supported the study hypotheses: ageism and aging anxiety declined over the semester whereas knowledge of aging and interest in working with older adults increased over the semester. Implications for training individuals for aging-related careers are discussed. (Contains 1 table.)

An intergenerational initiative was developed and implemented to enhance gerontology in the first course of the practice sequence. Seventeen students met with older adults (ages 82-98) in the classroom and at an assisted living facility. The evaluation of this older adult infusion project was conducted through two questionnaires and by the review of reflection papers completed as a course assignment. Pre-post statistical analyses as well as qualitative analysis evidenced an increase in knowledge of the older adults' lives as well as a professional interest in aging. As a result of this experience, several of the students volunteered at the facility, interviewed residents, and requested gerontological placements. (Contains 1 table.)

This study surveys elementary and secondary teachers in Taiwan and compares the findings with other studies conducted in America and Japan. The objective is to explore differences among teachers in Taiwan, Japan, and the United States in terms of their knowledge of, and attitudes toward, aging and the implementation of aging education in schools. Multistage sampling was adopted, with a total of 1038 Taiwanese elementary and secondary teachers sampled. It was found that while knowledge of aging among Taiwanese teachers appears lower in comparison with American teachers, their attitudes toward aging are largely consistent with their American counterparts. In addition, Taiwanese teachers seem to offer just as little aging education in schools as their American and Japanese counterparts. Lastly, Taiwanese teacher attitudes toward aging, rather than their knowledge of aging, correlate closely to their provision of aging education in schools. Educational authorities should, therefore, offer teachers pre- and in-service education on aging or gerontology so as to equip them with the right knowledge on, and positive attitudes toward, aging. By so doing, teachers will be more likely to teach the subject of aging in schools. (Contains 6 tables.)

This study attempted to build a predictive model of factors related to social work students' interest in gerontological social work. Bachelor's and Master's students from universities around Texas were surveyed to determine if knowledge about the aging process and related job opportunities, attitudes toward aging and professional or personal experience with the older population could predict interest in the field. Using regression analysis, knowledge, attitudes, and experience did not predict interest very well. Only knowledge of the aging process, professional experience, and perceived closeness were significant variables with experience found to be the best predictor of interest in the field. (Contains 3 tables and 1 figure.)

This study examined the association between three types of physical activities (PA) and depression, and the relationship between PA and later mortality. Previous studies rarely assessed these associations in one single study in randomly selected population samples. Few studies have assessed these relations by adjusting the covariate of friend-relative care. Participants consisted of 624 noninstitutionalized elders (mean age = 77.35) from the Americans' Changing Lives Longitudinal Study. Depression was measured using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. Logistic regression estimated the risk of depression as a function of the three individual PA (gardening, walking, and sport). A separate set of analyses predicted the risk of mortality (six years later) as a function of PA. Each 1-standard-unit increase on the physical inactivity scale significantly predicted adjusted 29%, 30%, and 33% increased risk of depression for gardening, walking, and sport, respectively; and each unit also predicted 48% and 72% increased risk of mortality, for gardening and walking, respectively. Active exercise was not able to predict mortality (p = 0.42). The study concluded that elders with less PA had a higher chance of getting depression. Unlike gardening and walking, rigorous exercise did not significantly predict mortality. This indicated that extra care is needed for elders when they engage in intense exercise. The relationships of social support from friends and relatives with depression and mortality were also discussed. (Contains 3 tables.)

According to Terror Management Theory as applied to ageism, older adults may be associated with mortality, thereby generating death-thought accessibility, stereotypes, and mixed emotions among younger adults. However, it is unclear how older adults' health conditions, such as dementia, affect ageist attitudes and mortality salience. In the current study, college student participants (N = 240) read descriptions of hypothetical target persons. Target age (29 or 71) and health status (normal, unknown, arthritis, or dementia) were manipulated. Participants then rated targets on stereotype content dimensions of competence and warmth; rated their emotions toward the targets; and completed a measure of death-thought accessibility. Results (p less than 0.05 for all) indicated that, relative to younger targets, older targets triggered lower competence ratings, higher warmth ratings, greater death-thought accessibility, and more empathy and pity. Targets with dementia generated lower competence ratings, higher warmth ratings, greater death-thought accessibility, and more fear, empathy, and pity than targets with normal and/or unknown health. Older targets with dementia (i.e., Alzheimer's disease) received higher pity ratings than all other targets, and participants reported more death-related thoughts for older vs. younger targets with dementia. The current study supports Terror Management Theory as an explanation for ageism, and illustrates how ageism among young adults is affected by health conditions like dementia. (Contains 4 tables and 3 figures.)

This paper describes and conceptualizes the meaning of lifelong learning from two cultural perspectives--East and West. It examines the different principles underpinning lifelong learning that explain why and how elders in the two cultures engage differently in continued learning. Finally, it discusses the cultural impact on elder learning by examining the reasons, choices and processes used by elders in the two different cultural contexts as they conceptualize, experience, and negotiate ongoing lifelong learning.

Learning and using new technologies by the older people is seen as a demand for their integration in society and as a factor related to active aging. The goal of this article is to understand the attitudes of the elderly towards information and communication technologies in the context of a training course about the utilization of a digital platform. It is the result of an empirical study with a sample of 240 older people registered in the course Tele-Services for the Elderly, that took place in the Centers for the Elderly in the province of Cuenca, Spain. Through a self-administered questionnaire, aspects related to social activity, knowledge and use of the computer and Internet, expectations on learning and use of computer technology, personal competence, and self-concept were evaluated. The results obtained showed relationships between implication in the activities, experience with computers, and belief in the usefulness of learning new technologies. The participants' involvement in the activities was related to greater contact with information and communication technologies (ICT), which, in turn, generated more positive attitudes toward its learning and utility as well as more self-confidence. The elderly said that they enrolled in different activities to learn and to keep their minds active, and they thought of training as a means of social participation and lifelong learning. (Contains 2 tables and 3 figures.)

This paper reports the findings of research on relationships between depression and participation in learning using data from a large sample of older adults. The objective was to establish whether learning can reduce the risk of depression. Data were obtained from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, a nationally-representative sample of adults aged 50 and above. The eight-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) was used to measure depressive symptoms. Participation in learning covered the acquisition of qualifications; taking formal training courses, learning at arts, music or evening classes; and participation in gym/exercise classes. Multiple regression analyses were conducted with the change in the measure of depressive symptoms between two waves of the longitudinal survey as the response variable. There was limited evidence that participation in learning reduced the risk of depression in later life. Only learning leading to qualifications was significantly associated with the outcome after controlling other factors. But learning leading to qualifications was undertaken only by a small minority of the sample, mainly the youngest and most highly educated. Other types of learning were not significantly associated with depression. It appears that learning has, at best, a small role to play in addressing the risk of depression in later life. (Contains 3 tables.)

This article investigates whether computer use for leisure could mediate or moderate the relations between age and cognitive functioning. Findings supported smaller age differences in measures of cognitive functioning for people who reported spending more hours using a computer. Because of the cross-sectional design of the study, two alternative interpretations of the results are discussed. Regardless of how the findings are interpreted, the major finding supports that using a computer for leisure does not have the same meaning at different ages. (Contains 2 tables.)

Given world aging, social workers will be involved in assisting older persons in their home-country and/or abroad in various types of governmental or nongovernmental agencies. This paper identifies potential opportunities for social workers with gerontological backgrounds interested in working in international and cross-cultural settings. Discussed are the role of social work education in assisting the development of student interest and competence in working with and for older persons in an aging world. Also discussed are international opportunities in field placements for work with older people.

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, professional, and personal progress. This involves interlocking elements of online personal dossier development, student self-rating assessment, faculty assessment of student progress, and a means of communicating interactive and iterative feedback among students and faculty. Preliminary findings from initial data collection using the assessment system indicate that students who have completed and passed their qualifying examinations are more confident in their ability to articulate diverse ideas in professional settings, work in direct contact with research participants, present research findings to scientific audiences, and adjust to the rigors of doctoral education. Additional feedback from participants in the system suggests that, although important ethical issues of confidentiality and appropriate use must be recognized and monitored, the GDSAM has strong potential to provide an appropriate assessment tool at the doctoral level. Implementation of such a system throughout doctoral education in gerontology provides a unique opportunity for tracking the impact and effectiveness of doctoral education in an emergent field as additional programs come on line. (Contains 2 tables and 1 figure.)

The increased number of older adults attributes to a rising need for future professionals to work in gerontology. Understanding the influence of students' career choices is important. A qualitative study was conducted after students' taking a gerontology course to explore students' knowledge and career preference in gerontology. The results were that students reported higher competency in that their knowledge was higher. Although increased knowledge did not necessarily encourage students to choose careers in gerontology, it may have made students more amenable toward accepting working with the aging population in the future. The study offers suggestions on how to increase students' competency level in practice. (Contains 1 table.)

We present findings from interviews with 17 first-year MSWs assigned to gerontological placements undertaken before beginning--and again as they neared completion--of practicum. All respondents, even those most positive and negative at beginning of placement, report a reduction in stereotypes, improved appreciation of older adults' capacities and strengths, and increased skills in working with this population. All but one respondent reports increased likelihood of pursuing a position working with older adults as a result of exposure through field placement. Specific factors reported by students to influence their decision as well as implications for social work education are discussed.

Matters of development and generation may create barriers in teaching millennial undergraduates psychological and social gerontology. We introduce strategy to mitigate these barriers by teaching psychological and social gerontology as undergraduate honors courses, augmented with the use of social networking tools. We detail honors programming, critical analysis of extant literature, ethnographic fieldwork to observe the "other" and build rapport, visual image analysis, and use of social networking tools to enhance intellectual and personal engagement. Reflection on our own modifications in course construction and pedagogy in analysis of four years of student evaluation feedback guides suggestions for replication.

The aging of society requires more trained aging specialists. Are higher education institutions prepared? Results of a comparison of gerontology programs in 2000 and 2010 indicate that the number of programs has declined and that higher education is not prepared. To address this challenge, the authors propose that gerontology be professionalized. To do so will require the accreditation of gerontology programs, the credentialing of gerontology graduates, and the employment of professional gerontologists. The authors offer a model that describes these relationships. The authors make the case, using a symbolic interactionist approach, that the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education must accredit gerontology programs. (Contains 1 table and 1 figure.)

This article examines the history of accreditation in psychology and applies the lessons learned to the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education's (AGHE) consideration of forming an organization to accredit programs in gerontology. The authors identify the challenges met and unmet, the successes and failures, and the key issues that emerged from psychology's experience with accreditation. Psychology has been accrediting programs in clinical psychology for more than 65 years, and the process has been marked by several false steps, considerable tension, and some controversy and at times significant dissatisfaction. The accreditation process that has emerged today, which includes counseling, school psychology, graduate practica, and postdoctoral practica sites, is generally well received yet some tensions exist. The authors apply the lessons learned from psychology's evolution to AGHE. The experience of psychology suggests a need for clear minimum standards and consistency across programs in training goals, if not in curricula and practica. However, setting standards for specific curricula and practice content may result in a similar contentiousness that has plagued psychology. Ultimately, the authors conclude that the benefits of accreditation of programs outweigh the deficits.

The health care needs of older adults can be complex and multifaceted. Safe, effective, equitable, and person-centered service provision relies on skilled interprofessional, team-based practice. Too often, students seeking a career specializing in gerontology are not exposed to such interprofessional, team-based learning and practice during their coursework. This article details the core interprofessional collaborative competencies that need to be an integral component of any program providing quality education on issues in aging. (Contains 2 tables.)

Quality assurance and accreditation are closely tied together. This article documents the work toward a unified and comprehensive national accreditation program in health education. By exploring the accreditation journey of another discipline, the field of gerontology should learn valuable lessons. These include an attention to inclusivity, a generous timeline, ample communication, and abundant resources.

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 poses opportunities and challenges that must be addressed to have a valid and meaningful discussion about the future of gerontological education. This article examines the advantages and disadvantages of accreditation for gerontology using the lens of faculty members from these three different academic programs. The authors ask: Is accreditation a good idea for each program? What are the advantages and disadvantages? Is this the right time?

The authors review widely accepted criteria for program accreditation and compare gerontology with well-established accredited fields including clinical psychology and social work. At present gerontology lacks many necessary elements for credible professional accreditation, including defined scope of practice, applied curriculum, faculty with applied professional credentials, and resources necessary to support professional credentialing review. Accreditation with weak requirements will be dismissed as "vanity" accreditation, and strict requirements will be impossible for many resource-poor programs to achieve, putting unaccredited programs at increased risk for elimination. Accreditation may be appropriate in the future, but it should be limited to professional or applied gerontology, perhaps for programs conferring bachelor's or master's degrees. Options other than accreditation to enhance professional skills and employability of gerontology graduates are discussed.

Although doctorally trained gerontologists have unique types of expertise as a result of their interdisciplinary training, research exploring perceptions of their hirability in faculty positions is lacking. This exploratory study examined the perceptions of administrators and faculty at institutions identified as having a doctoral program in gerontology or a doctoral program in another aging-related area. A short, semistructured 27 question survey was disseminated online. Twenty-five (N = 25) deans, associate deans, or other faculty participated in this study. Results indicate varying views of the attractiveness of hiring doctorally trained gerontologists, who or what is a gerontologist, and the value of having a doctorally trained gerontologist as a faculty member. (Contains 1 note.)

The purpose of this study is to document current practices and understandings about globalization of gerontology education in the United States. Better understanding of aging requires international perspectives in global communities. However, little is known about how globalization of gerontology education is practiced in U.S. graduate-level degree programs. The authors conducted qualitative interviews with representatives of the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education, the major national organization supporting higher education in gerontology, graduate program directors, and students. Although all respondents expressed their interest in globalizing gerontology education, actual practices are diverse. The authors discuss suggested conceptualization and strategies for globalizing gerontology education. (Contains 2 tables and 1 figure.)

This research seeks to examine the characteristics and goals of students enrolled in gerontology doctoral education. The authors seek to identify the unique characteristics of scholars enrolled in the interdisciplinary study of aging and elicit discussion on the ways in which these scholars will contribute to the growth and development of the field. This article describes results from an ongoing longitudinal study examining the relationship between gerontology doctoral education and overarching frameworks that define and advance the field. Four cohorts of first-year doctoral students were invited to participate in an online survey. Results reveal three distinct typologies of gerontology doctoral students: traditional academics, applied specialists, and general educators. Traditional academics are seeking postdoc and tenure-track faculty positions upon completion of the doctoral degree whereas the applied specialists intend to pursue careers in allied health fields or within a government setting. Educators plan to seek academic positions within teaching intensive or balanced teaching-research institutions. Gerontology doctoral students are being trained to serve as leaders in practice and research by linking and integrating multiple perspectives. Doctoral education will continue to facilitate applications of research to practice, identify the meaning of being a "gerontologist," and to advance the field of gerontology. However, students are entering with diverse academic and professional backgrounds and have varied career goals. (Contains 3 tables and 2 figures.)

The Geriatric Scholar Program (GSP) is a Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) workforce development program to infuse geriatrics competencies in primary care. This multimodal educational program is targeted to primary care providers and ancillary staff who work in VA's rural clinics. GSP consists of didactic education and training in geriatrics and gerontology and in quality improvement (QI) and support to implement a local QI project; in addition, elective options include webinars, audio conferences, clinical practica, and mentoring. The program is effective in improving core competencies in geriatrics and in improving clinical care for older Veterans who receive health care in rural clinics. (Contains 5 tables.)

Medical school accreditation requirements require educational opportunities in geriatrics. Twenty-six minimum graduating competencies in geriatrics have recently been identified for medical students. The authors describe how these competencies are being integrated into a new medical curriculum through coursework and community-based experiences. This approach is intended to expose students to older adults from diverse communities and adequately prepare students to address the complex and individual needs of these patients. Initial results indicate proficiency in the minimum geriatric competencies covered. The growth and diversity of the older adult population makes it important to integrate and evaluate geriatrics education in undergraduate medical education. (Contains 1 table.)

Gerontologists face a unique set of obstacles in attracting newcomers to the field. Despite demographic trends favorable to a wide range of employment opportunities and job security, aging is rarely top of mind for many students when it comes to career choices. For most gerontologists, aging is our passion. How do we share that passion with others who have yet to discover its interdisciplinary opportunities, or who may be held at bay by negative stereotypes of aging and older persons? This article explores various approaches to enhance engaged teaching and engaged learning that can help personalize and contextualize the field so that educators and students at all levels and disciplines can find their passion for gerontology and geriatrics. (Contains 1 table.)

This article presents a theoretical framework for exploring the dynamics between older people and their immediate social living environment. After introducing a gerontological perspective that goes beyond "microfication," a literature review presents findings from studies that have explored the role of place and locality for older people. Next, this contribution seeks to broaden the conceptual field by introducing key dimensions of the relationship between older people and their social environment. A critical investigation of underlying assumptions and constructions of older people within certain research traditions that address the social environment is presented. In conclusion, the role of the social environment is underlined as a dynamic, multi-dimensional, historically and spatially contextualized process that both shapes and is shaped by the experiences and practices of older people. (Contains 6 notes.)

Conflicts between younger and older generations can take on a character that goes beyond personal experience to become a narrative of more general social conditions. In times of change, this phenomenon may play an important role in defining new social realities. This seems to be occurring in Russia today. Available studies of intergenerational relations provide evidence that the problem, while not antagonistic in character, is still significant. For this study, data were gathered and analyzed using the method of "double reflexiveness" via unstructured, informal interviews; the method combines qualitative investigation and a qualitative-quantitative interface with field research strategies, which includes the elements of familiarization, interviews, and collective intellectual support in a "long table" format. Respondents with attitudes and/or life experience relevant to the study's aims were selected by a preliminary questionnaire survey; in addition, use was made of a set of fifty interviews collected by the author concerning problems of gerontology. The respondents were college students in the second through fifth years of study enrolled in various faculties at Saratov State Technical University. (Contains 1 note.)

Purpose: The study aims to examine job satisfaction of migrant live-in home care workers who provide care to frail older adults and to examine the extent to which quality of relationships between the care provider and care recipient and workplace characteristics is associated with job satisfaction. Design and Methods: A convenience sample that included 335 dyads of Philippine workers and their frail care recipients were recruited through 2 national home care agencies and snowballing. Multiple regression analyses examined the extent to which workplace characteristics, quality of relationships, care recipient characteristics, and care worker characteristics explain job satisfaction. Results: Scores for job satisfaction, quality of relationships, and workplace characteristics were strongly positive. Overall and intrinsic job satisfactions were explained by workers' qualifications, workplace characteristics, and quality of relationships from the perspective of care recipients, whereas satisfaction with benefits was affected by workplace characteristics and quality of relationships from the perspective of the care workers. Implications: Findings suggest that workers who were better qualified in terms of more years of formal education and more years as care workers and who reported improved workplace characteristics, in particular more job decision authority and variety, reported increased job satisfaction. Therefore, enabling migrant live-in care workers more job decision authority and variety may increase their job satisfaction. More research is needed to deepen our understanding of additional job-related characteristics that explain job satisfaction among this group of care workers.