Purpose
The purpose of this course is to increase students' knowledge and understanding of developmental theories and processes of older adulthood. It will focus on the physical, cognitive, psychological, social, spiritual, and cultural influences on older persons. An ecological perspective on aging will be taken, including a social systems theoretical orientation to understanding the environment of aging.

Students will be given the opportunity to apply theoretical concepts, professional skills, and social work values in a service learning project. . Using service learning as one of the primary pedagogical methods, and in collaboration with a community partner (the Village Health Care Center), the instructor and students will design a research instrument that will explore the tenets of positive aging in a nursing home environment. This instrument will be administered to residents of the nursing home setting, and the results will be compiled into a useable and attractive written product that can be utilized by anyone wishing to learn how to be supportive of older persons as they face the challenges of nursing home placement. Students will also learn to communicate their findings verbally by conducting an in-service training at the Village Health Care Center.

This course is funded by a grant from the Cooperative for Community Service, a federal program which has awarded a 3 year grant to the Montana Campus Compact. Findings from the student-designed research project will be disseminated to other professional organizations interested in gerontology and building on the strengths of the elderly.

Course Objectives:
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
Describe the major theories of adult development
Describe the major theories of aging
Have an initial understanding of the normal and pathological changes in adulthood
Understand more fully the issues related to death, dying and bereavement
Be more aware of personal and societal attitudes and values related to adulthood (e.g. ageism, sexism, ambivalence)
Increase their sense of civic responsibility as a result of the service learning component of the course
Integrate academic concepts with community based projects
Apply basic research techniques regarding design, implementation, and analysis of an interviewing instrument
Reflect upon their service learning activities thereby developing into "reflective practitioners"
Articulate societal implications of their classroom learning (e.g. organizational analysis, social policy analysis)
Examine and clarify their own personal and professional values and ethics regarding the aging process


Required Readings:
Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom, Doubleday, 1997.
Living and Dying at Murray Manor by Jaber F. Gubrium, University Press of Virginia, 1997 (originally published in 1975).

Assignments and Grading Criteria
100 points: Participation and Attendance
100 points: Reflective Journals, Due March 9, April 27
100 points: Reaction Paper to Tuesdays with Morrie, Due March 2
100 points: Reaction Paper to Living and Dying at Murray Manor, Due April 13
200 points: Research Participation, Ongoing
200 points: Presentations/Showcase of Findings, End of semester (to be scheduled)
800 points total

A 720-800 points
B 640-719 points
C 560-639 points
D 480-559 points
F 0-479 points

Extra Credit will be available for the following activities
Montana Gerontology Society annual conference
Visiting Scholar Presentation on UM campus
Internet Research on prescribed topics

NOTE: Late assignments are unacceptable without being excused by the instructor. Assignments turned in late will be graded .5 letter grade lower for each class period they are late.

Weekly Topics and Assigned Readings
January 26 Introduction
February 2 Orientation at Village Health Care Center
Albom, pp. 1-54
Gubrium, chapter 1
February 9 Theories/Models of Adult Development and Aging
Albom, pp. 55-99
Gubrium, chapter 2
February 16 Positive Aging / Designing Research to Define It
Albom, pp. 100-151
Gubrium, chapter 3
February 23 Psychology of Aging
Albom, pp. 152-192
Gubrium, chapter 4
March 2 Communicating with the Elderly
Gubrium, chapter 5
March 9 Biology of Aging
March 16 Spring Break
March 23 Spirituality
March 30 Family / Caregiving
April 6 Death and Dying: Gubrium, chapter 6
April 13 Diversity in Aging
April 20 Legal and Policy : Issues of Aging
April 27 Rehearsal of In-Service
May 4 Reflection / Wrap-Up

Reflective Journals
The purpose of this assignment is to provide a tool for reflecting on and integrating classroom information and discussions, assigned readings, and nursing home visits. Journals can be hand written or typed. Although length is not prescribed, it is suggested that one page hand written (1/2 page typed) be written per week for the first due date (March 9). After that, because there will be continuing contact with the nursing home residents, it is suggested that you will have 1 page typed per week. Entries can focus on the following issues/topics:

* Concepts learned / read / discussed regarding aging
* Reactions to material covered and experiences with your assigned nursing home resident
* Questions you have
* Observations you have about the resident
* Observations you have about the nursing home
* New insights into aging or yourself
* New ideas
* Emotional reactions
* Personal growth
* Ideas for integrating this experience into your professional work:

Examples of entries:
I wonder why nursing homes have to be like institutions?
What could they do differently?
My resident reminds me of my grandmother, so it's hard for me to be objective about her.
I'm worried about my ability to relate to an older person, and to interview them adequately.
Being in the nursing home makes me feel sad. Will that affect my work?
Why does society not value older people? How can that be changed?
I wish I had met Morrie, but I know every older person faces death. I hope my resident will talk freely so I can learn from him also.