HEALTH PROMOTION AND EDUCATION FOR THE ELDERLY - EXPERIENCE IN AN ACADEMIC DEPARTMENT OF GERIATRIC-MEDICINE

A health promotion and education program for elderly people was based in tire academic Department of Geriatric Medicine of the University of Auckland for four and a half years. Its major objectives were to unde rtake health education and promotion research, develop community-based initiatives in health education, produce educational resources releva nt to older adults and train other personnel to lead health education programs, Considerable progress,ms made in meeting these objectives, F ormal evaluation of the long term impact of programs,,,whose results m ay riot be evident until after many years, is difficult. However, desp ite the fact that tile program was terminated sooner than had been ant icipated because of loss of funding, there was evidence that it had be en successful. The achievements of the program were not only of value to the community of older people but to the Department itself. It is c oncluded that health promotion and education programs are worthwhile a ctivities to be included within university departments of geriatric me dicine.