FORMAL AND INFORMAL FRAMEWORKS FOR TEACHING GERIATRICS

Geriatrics has developed as a discipline mainly because of the increas ing health care needs of the growing older population. This has result ed in a burgeoning of interest in and research on aging and older pers ons in, medical, nursing and paramedical professions. Education in ger iatrics, however has been slow to develop in some professional areas b ecause of attitudes of ''agism,'' unclear definition of its scientific basis, uncertain definitions of goals in patient management, and a pe rception of poor prospects for professional advancement. Academic reco gnition of geriatrics in university and college programs has been, pat chy but increasing in the last 20 years. The gulf between the need for academically trained geriatric physicians and the number coming into practice is still considerable in some countries, notably the United S tates. The present work reviews progress in geriatric education in the health care professions, with illustrations of curricular content and a clearer definition of the specialty. Much geriatric education is al so carried out in nonformal frameworks, of which two examples are give n: (a) a study center that has developed as an adjunct to the manpower committee of a national organization for service planning for the eld erly and (b) a geriatric institute alongside an active geriatric unit in a general hospital, in which practical as well as theoretical knowl edge is taught, with an emphasis on values and ethics concerning the o lder population. The more geriatrics becomes a recognized and respecta ble educational area, the better are the prospects for real advances i n treatment of the elderly.