At the Rhode Island Geriatric Education Center (RIGEC) we develop health and human service curriculum for professionals to better meet the needs of older adults It is well known that older Americans use a disproportionately larger share of health care services than younger adults and that this share tends to increase with age. However, you may be surprised to learn that very few health profession
als will receive any formal education or training in gerontology (normal aging process) or geriatrics (medical care of disease/chronic conditions associated with aging). A health care workforce unfamiliar with the unique and complex needs of older adults can lead to misdiagnoses, under or over treatment, medication errors, increased hospitalizations, increased costs, poorer outcomes and a reduced quality of life in older patients. Although healthcare professionals are often required to work in team environments, most have gained knowledge or learned the skills to work collaboratively with other professionals from diverse clinical disciplines. Geriatrics care is often complex, time intensive and requires a team of professionals to address competing medical, psychosocial, and functional challenges. RIGEC’s education and training programs are designed to increase the capacity of health professionals to meet interdisciplinary needs of older patients.
