Introduction to Aging and Long Term Care

This 7 unit course is designed for social workers, therapists, nurses and other health care professionals at the bachelors, masters and PhD level of education. This is an introductory level course on aging and is intended for health care workers who are interested in gaining further knowledge about the biological, social, and psychological aspects of aging. This course addresses the following areas related to aging:

Biological, Social and Physical affect of Aging Healthy Aging Cultural Competence Depression Elder Abuse Sexual Abuse

Fiduciary Abuse Alcohol and Drug Abuse Caregivers Sex and the Elderly Death and Dying Bereavement Current research on Aging

By the year 2030 more than 20% of the population will be over the age of 65 and almost every state will experience a tripling of its long-term care expenditures. It is predicted that the number of individuals needing nursing homes will reach 5.3 million at that time (US Census Bureau Decennial projections)."

Clearly our nation is growing older and aging and long-term care is a growing concern. This course will inform the reader of some of the more significant aspects of aging and long-term care issues. This is an introductory course and a starting point for dealing with the issues of our aging society. Course Objectives

By completing this course the healthcare professional will be able to:

• Identify cultural biases and be sensitive to cultural differences.
• Identify the physical and psychological changes that are associated with aging.
• Describe common psychological disorders found in aging individuals.
• Identify signs of aging that required increased levels of care.
• Utilize tools to diagnose and manage issues related to aging.
• Describe intervention techniques that minimize trauma to elderly patients and their families.
• Utilize support resources such as groups, families, and residential centers to facilitate improved comprehensive care.
• Approach the issues of aging from many aspects, including sexual, chemical dependence/alcohol, abuse, sociological, biological and psychological.

Rachel Werner, MFT has worked with the senior population for three years conducting therapy and research for University of California, San Diego. She has supervised interns and Social Workers in group homes and Residential Care Centers.

Randi Fabrick, LCSW is a Social Worker for Kaiser Permanente in Los Angeles. She primarily works with seniors as a case manager and in individual and group therapy. Randi has also worked as a caseworker outside of Kaiser in residential and outpatient care facilities.