This affordable, credible certificate provides an opportunity for practitioners to learn the fundamentals of aging in a convenient, online format. These courses are presented by distinguished professors at USC. The Davis School of Gerontology has a sterling reputation and is recognized globally as the leading academic institute for aging studies.
This five-week certificate program costs $500 and is open ONLY to members of the American Society on Aging [ASA]. Even if you must join ASA to enroll, it is still an amazing bargain. All of the information below was copied from their website. I am really excited about this program and I hope you will take a few minutes to review it. Agedoc.
UPDATE 9/28/17
I have noticed that this is one of the most read postings in the blog. Course offerings for 2017 are now closed. Check back for 2018 course sessions, but do not delay if you are considering this outstanding opportunity. Here is some updated information from ASA:
Click below if you want to receive information once it is available:
Fundamentals of Gerontology Certificate Program
Offered by the American Society on Aging and the
USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology
Offered by the American Society on Aging and the
USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology
Cost of program $500
"As our society continues to age
rapidly, Fundamentals of Gerontology: What Every ASA Member Should Know
provides both a broad overview and a deeper understanding of gerontology and
the challenges faced by aging adults, their families, and their communities.
With nuanced coverage of aging topics presented by our USC Leonard Davis School
of Gerontology faculty members, the program provides ASA members direct access
to state-of-the-art, evidence-based knowledge from top experts at the oldest
and largest school of gerontology in the world." -Pinchas Cohen M.D.,
Dean of the University of Southern California Leonard Davis School of
Gerontology
The
University of Southern California is home to the oldest and largest school of
gerontology in the world—the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology. ASA
and USC have joined forces to offer an opportunity—exclusively available to
ASA members—to earn a certificate of completion from USC in a convenient
and flexible online format.
Over the
course of five weeks, USC faculty will take you through the fundamental
concepts of gerontology and provide practical and theoretical perspectives to
help you gain a broader understanding of the field.
This
program is available exclusively to ASA members. If you are not a member of
ASA, and would like to register for Fundamentals of Gerontology, the
website is http://www.asaging.org/
Individual Student Membership = $75
Individual Professional Membership
= $225
Individual Retired Membership =
$115
To join, click “Membership” on the
website.
Certificate
Syllabus:
The
course description, below, details what will be covered during the five-week
online course. Supplemental readings will help to enhance your understanding of
the five modules. Each week’s lectures, readings and activities will take
three to five hours to complete. Participants must pass a weekly quiz with a
score of 80% to earn the certificate of completion.
The purpose
of week one is to introduce students to the key contributions of Gerontology
research to our knowledge of aging, the meaning of age, and issues
affecting those who reach advanced ages. Further, we train you how to use
Census data to understand the population characteristics in your local
area, and offer a tool to project how population aging will affect your
local community. There is an emphasis on getting to know academic leaders,
moments of paradigm shift in our understanding of aging, and information
on how academic ideas can apply to real world application
affecting caregivers, case managers, program administrators, those
involved in regulations, and those looking for new approaches to long term
care issues.
Part I. Introduction: Why Study Aging? Multidisciplinary Views
of Key Questions in Gerontology
LEARNING
OBJECTIVES
In this
thought provoking introduction to gerontology we will review the most relevant
challenges we face as an aging society. In the first half of this week we
will:
1.
Become familiar with some of the key
scientists influencing our understanding of the aging process;
2.
Understand how integrating the sciences
of biology, psychology, sociology, and economics can lead to a broader
understanding of the aging process;
3.
See how our understanding of aging has
evolved over the decades and in recent years;
4.
Understand the context in which our
society view aging and how that may evolve as the baby boom generation
redefines aging; and
5.
See the issues of caregiving, case
management, chronic disease self-management, home modification, long term care
regulations, the range of policy programs designed to support an aging society,
the range of entrepreneurial ventures that are filling in the gap between needs
and demands.
Part II. Aging by the Numbers: Demographic Trends,
Projections, and Census Data Exercises
LEARNING
OBJECTIVES
In the
second half of week one, we will review the phenomena of the aging of our
population. At no other time in the world’s history have we experienced
the sheer numbers of older adults living today and the expectations that a
large majority of Americans will live longer than we have previously
experienced. This has profound implications and in this section we will:
1.
Become more familiar with the major
statistics that describe the size and growth of the older population;
2.
Understand how diversity and specific
subgroups of the population are distributed and concentrated in specific areas,
and be able to project likely trends in the future;
3.
Understand the functional health issues
faced at certain ages, the chronic disease levels and needs associated;
4.
Learn to use census data from the
American Community Survey to understand local population characteristics,
housing and economic infrastructure currently available to serve the needs of
local older adults;
5.
Understand life expectancy and life span
in detail, and why claims of extreme longevity are unlikely;
6.
Understand the role of genetics in super
centenarians;
7.
Identify blue zone concentrations of
longevity and understand the likely reasons for these observations.
In
addition to watching a video lecture and completing our reading assignments we
will participate in the following interactive exercise: Use Census Data
Assignment Template (online) to generate population pyramids and projections
of your local area.
Theories in the Sociology of Aging Societies
The
purpose of week 2 is to set the scientific mindset for the rest of the course,
focusing on how social scientists build knowledge and understanding
through theory development and testing, and introduce the evolution of
theoretical thought from a social science perspective. The major issues
affecting an aging society are addressed, including how theoretical perspectives
predict how society may change as larger numbers of people are classified in
older age groups. The life course perspective, and the implications of
early life events in affecting later life decisions are addressed, as
are cultural differences in intergenerational exchanges. This week we
will take a deeper dive into some of the fundamental theories of the sociology
of aging. Understanding these constructs will help you put a framework on
much of the information you will learn in this course and in the future.
When you have completed this week’s assignments you will:
LEARNING
OBJECTIVES
1.
Understand how scientific theories are
developed, tested, and the limits of macro level theory in understanding micro
level interactions;
2.
Appreciate the importance of theory in
adding cumulative knowledge within a field and the elements of what makes a
good theory;
3.
Be familiar with the historical
development of theory in Gerontology;
4.
Be familiar with the major theories
sociologists and economists have developed to describe societal beliefs and
interactions related to older adults and the aging of the population;
5.
To apply major theories to real world
situations. Among the theories are: Socioemotional Selectivity theory,
Disengagement theory, Activity Theory, Continuity Theory, Subculture theory,
Exchange theory, Modernization Theory, Age Stratification Theory; Political
Economy Theory, Cumulative Advantage/Disadvantage, and the Life Course
Perspective; and
6.
Understand Intergenerational exchange and
filial piety.
In
addition to watching our video lecture we will engage in an interactive quiz
that reinforces these theories.
Psychological Perspective of Aging: Cognitive Changes,
Personality and Mental Health
The
purpose of week 3 is to develop an understanding of how our minds and
personalities cope with the aging process and the changes we may
experience. Major developments in the psychology of aging are discussed, with
an emphasis on issues of memory, wisdom, creativity, decision making,
depression, and caregiver support needs. Major theories and research
findings will be presented that explain why some people are on a path to
“successful aging,”(a topic which will be defined and described) while
others are at risk of rapid decline. Models of coping and support
applications based on theory will be presented.
LEARNING
OBJECTIVES
This week
we will turn to the individual and explore the psychological aspects of aging.
At the end of this lesson you will be able to:
1.
Understand the major theories that
explain how our perspective changes with aging, including: Selective
Optimization with Compensation Theory and Socio-Emotional Selectivity Theory.
2.
See the value and limitations of the
popular concept of “Successful Aging;”
3.
Understand intelligence and wisdom, and
how recent research is changing our views on wisdom and creativity at older
ages;
4.
Understand recent advances in research on
memory, and how emotion influences memory differently as we age;
5.
Understand how cognitive reserve explains
observations about who is at the highest risk of Alzheimer’s Disease;
6.
Understand how “Neuro-Economics” is changing
our perceptions about decision making at older ages;
7.
Be familiar with personality theories,
and how personality is affected by aging;
8.
Understand how depression and anxiety
change as we age;
9.
Appreciate the importance of caregiver
support and the range of evidence-based programs that can support caregivers’
unique emotional demands.
In
addition to our video based lecture this week we will participate in an
interactive game that stresses the importance of mental health care
throughout the lifespan.
Biology & Biomarkers of Aging and Key Diseases Associated
with Aging
The
purpose of week 4 is to educate participants on some of the new perspectives
about how we measure health, and how our understanding of the biology of
aging is rapidly evolving into a more integrative approach of
gene environment interactions, and more individualized understanding of
the microbiome that makes our bodies truly unique and respond differently
to diet, drugs, and exercise. Recent findings about major chronic disease
diagnosis and how diseases are linked through similar inflammatory
pathways will be explained. The major theories and explanations for
biological aging will be explained and evaluated.
LEARNING
OBJECTIVES
This week
we will learn about diseases often associated with aging such as heart disease,
Alzheimer’s, arthritis and stroke. We will also have a chance to learn a
little bit about the biological aspects of aging and by the end of this
week we will be able to:
1.
Understand how biological aging and
senescence differs across species, and some of the factors that slow aging in
model organisms (though not in humans);
2.
Learn about biomarkers of aging that may
be useful in predicting diseases (such as the 10 lipids that predict
Alzheimer’s), and understanding the rate at which an individual is exposed to
increased risk of diseases associated with aging;
3.
Know the major biomarkers used in human
aging research studies;
4.
Understand how stress response hormones
can accelerate aging;
5.
Know some of the major biological
theories of aging including the Wear and Tear Theory; Autoimmune Theory, Cross
Linkage Theory, Free Radical Theory, Antagonistic Pleiotropy, and the
Microbiome Perspective;
6.
Understand how the body’s composition
changes with age;
7.
Understand how inflammation links most of
the chronic diseases of aging.
In
addition to our video lecture we will participate in an interactive game that
helps us review and memorize these concepts.
Policy and Programs Affecting Older Americans
The
purpose of week 5 is to explore the range of existing regulations that are
shaping the range of medical and social services available to older
adults, and explore new evidence-based programs that are likely to influence
future policy. Existing Medicaid Waiver programs will be described, and
specific policies that are having an impact of service providers will be
described, as well as opportunities to lobby at the state and federal level for
policy changes that could benefit older adults in a cost-effective way.
The changing role of Medicare and Medicaid Managed Care will be described,
with examples of how these programs are applying concepts from Gerontology to
modify the way health and social services are implemented.
LEARNING
OBJECTIVES
This week
we will learn about the major policies that affect older Americans. We will
learn about the history of major pieces of legislation and familiarize
ourselves with the ongoing policy debates related to social security and
retirement planning. As we conclude the final week of this program we will
be able to:
1.
Describe the economic status of older
adults, and the proportion in each age group capable of paying for medical
services out of pocket;
2.
Understand the financial condition of
Medicare and Medicaid, how the Affordable Care Act changed these programs, and
likely future directions of these policies;
3.
Understand Medicaid waiver programs that
hint at the face of future long term care policies;
4.
Understand how recent policy changes in
Medicare and Medicaid likely to affect service providers;
5.
Identify the opportunities for
Gerontologists as policy advocates using evidence-based knowledge.
In
addition to our video lecture we will take an interactive quiz that helps us
differentiate the many pieces of legislation and policies that affect
older adults.
