title: Integrating gerontological competencies in Canadian health and social service education: An overview of trends, enablers, and challenges.
abstract: As the number of older adults increases, it is imperative that gerontological competencies are imbedded in health and social service education reviews of Canadian published and grey literature presents trends, barriers, and enablers of sustained movement toward graduating professionals with gerontology competencies. Overall, gerontological education remains insufficient. Main barriers include resources for faculty and teaching. This review also identified discipline-specific competency frameworks that could inform curriculum enhancement and education accreditations; however, most educators were unaware of these. Further limiting workforce development is the lack of gerontology competency statements within regulatory documents. This review concludes with recommendations for federal and provincial policies to establish educational accreditation programs in geriatrics, develop core competencies, and integrate these into regulatory frameworks. Failure to do so will continue the trend of insufficient preparation of health and social service professionals to care for older adults.
authors.affiliation: a School of Health & Life Sciences and Community Services , Conestoga College Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning , Kitchener , Ontario , Canada.|d Schlegel-University of Waterloo Research Institute for Aging , Kitchener , Ontario , Canada.
authors.forename: Veronique
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Boscart
authors.affiliation: b Faculty of Applied Health Sciences - Department of Nursing , Brock University , St. Catharines , Ontario , Canada.
authors.forename: Lynn
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: McCleary
authors.affiliation: a School of Health & Life Sciences and Community Services , Conestoga College Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning , Kitchener , Ontario , Canada.
authors.forename: Kelsey
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Huson
authors.affiliation: a School of Health & Life Sciences and Community Services , Conestoga College Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning , Kitchener , Ontario , Canada.
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sheiban
authors.affiliation: c Department of Health , Aging & Society, McMaster University , Hamilton , Ontario , Canada.
authors.forename: Kelsey
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Harvey
mesh_terms: D002170:Canada; D003479:Curriculum; D005853:Geriatrics / Q000191:economics / Q000193:education*; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D057766:Policy; D011361:Professional Competence; D012947:Social Work / Q000193:education*
keywords: Accreditation; Canadian; curriculum; education; gerontology; health and social service professionals; older adults