Orlando is the #1 Tourist Destination in the World.  It is the home of Disney World.  Here is Mickey and Minnie working with our clients.

Anne and I began to dream of a way that our Community College could become involved in producing an educational track for people who were interested in working with elders. 

We wanted to build a program that would influence and redirect the current worker.  We wanted to create and educational model to prepare workers for elder care.  We wanted to keep our eyes on engaging a new stream of people into the emerging gerontology industry. 

Research supports our observation that the number of elders is growing.  Gary Andrews of the United Nations’ Department of Economics and Social Affairs speaks of the “massive, rapid and new aging population”.  He sets the world-aging stage at 500 million people 60 and older by the year 2020. 

Shouldn’t we make Gerontology an area of study that is attractive to this population?

The creative solution is to look to the educational process for support.  Identify what educational vehicle will serve your student population.  In the United States, the Community College System offers the Adult Learner: Credit Hour Measure:  Most employers want a measure of success.  The US Community College System has designed the Advanced Technical Certificate (ATC) for accountability of study beyond the basic Associate of Science degree. Solutions for aging occur from within the community.   To develop a successful Aging Institute, it is essential to look at development of a partnership. 

This is a church related not for profit organization dedicated to providing services for older adults.  They have created excellent residential and health care facilities.  They are committed to honoring the dignity, rights, self respect and independence of their residents. The provision of a site with clients and professional staff are necessary to provide hands on experience. Exposure to professionals working in the field of gerontology as well as  recruitment of experts in Aging will enhance the quality of the program. 

Anne and I developed the Institute on Aging at Valencia Community in 1997.  The history of Valencia College goes back to it’s beginnings in1967.  The college has grown over the last 30 years.  We started with 567 students and today we serve over 52,000 students on 6 campuses. Our creation of The Institute on Aging was supported through an Endowed Chair funded by the Wayne Densch Chair in Gerontology. Our motivation to develop such an Institute came about because of our nursing experience.  We found that our daily nursing practice included a growing number of elders needing health care services. 

Participation of community experts in the delivery of course content will insure that the institute has credibility.  Experts will stimulate the best thinking and the best practice level for the elders in your community.

United States demographics reveal that 75-80 million babies were born between 1946 and 1964.  In the US, this population is called the BABY BOOMERS.  This means that 75-80 million people will start turning 50 over the next 18 years.  Data shows that this population is interested in changing or enhancing their career goals.  It is postulated that this population will be working longer and living longer.  Yet we must think beyond the Baby Boomers.  We must also think of the Young Adult Population.

You have identified the need for a community solution to the aging issue

Identify the student population:  Where are you going to draw your population from?  Look at the Purple Man Brochure Identify the major content areas:  Look at the Purple Handout for content outline.  We offer 3 courses Passages In Aging:  Attitudes, trends and theories of aging.  Emphasis on the cognitive and emotional changes in the elder Problems of Aging:  Principles of assessment for changing health status.  Emphasis is also placed  on Nutrition and Pharmacology. Politics, Power and Programs for Aging:  Policies and legislation that effect those >65.  Emphasis on legal and ethical issues. Streamline the course to fit the credit hour distribution:  This takes a lot of work!

The needs for funding sources and promotional strategies is a universal need. 

We did not place emphasis on this the first year and we lived to regret it!