Opportunities to strengthen aging curricula across the health professions

Abstract

The rapidly aging population of the United States presents an urgent need for healthcare professionals trained in Gerontology, rooted in a holistic framework of health across the lifespan, and sustained by interprofessional collaborative practice. Institutions of higher education can meet this demand by aligning their curriculum and co-curriculum to train health sciences students in the increasingly important field of Gerontology. This IPEP guide will outline lessons learned at one University based on program director insight into aging-related courses, experiential training, and research opportunities. The lessons described here provide insight for other faculty and program directors on the current state of aging-related education and how to move from aging-related to aging-rich education in an interprofessional way.