Increasing the size of the future aging services workforce starts with education — not only exposing medical students to working with older adults, but also combating ageist attitudes among current staff members.
Lacking familiarity with older adults and the specialty of geriatrics, medical, nursing and therapy students tend to have negative perceptions about working with the older population, according to Jessica Dunn, PT, DPT, MS, director of clinical education at Seton Hall University, a private Catholic research university in South Orange, NJ.
“We know that early exposure increases student interest in this specialty,” Dunn said of geriatrics during a LeadingAge policy update call on Wednesday. Unfortunately, there aren’t that many board-certified geriatric clinicians to educate those students about working with older adults.
In the United States, fewer than 1% of physicians are certified in geriatrics, according to the American Geriatrics Society, which estimates that the nation will need more than 30,000 geriatricians by 2030. At the same time, the number of professionals in this specialty has been steadily decreasing since 2000, declining from 10,200 geriatricians to 7,300 in 2020.
Ageist attitudes
In addition to the lack of experts in the field available to train students, academia — as well as the long-term care industry — needs to address ageist attitudes toward older adults, Dunn said.
She pointed to a study showing that students spending time with physical therapists working with older adults identified negative perceptions toward aging and working with the older population. The revelation, Dunn said, creates an opportunity to introduce the concept of ageism in the early stage of a medical student’s career.
“Breaking those stereotypes related to aging improves attitudes toward aging, as well as those working with older adults,” she said. “We really have to focus on making sure our academic institutions do adequately hire faculty that represent this patient population to make sure we are training individuals that know how to take care of older adults for the future.”
Working with clinical training sites to expose students to professions serving older adults comes with its own set of challenges, Dunn said. Senior living and care organizations have to manage multiple priorities, staffing shortages, changes in ownership and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and burnout on staff members, she added.
“Our efforts to engage students in working in this environment has to be multifaceted across the board, from the academic setting, as well as from the clinical environment,” Dunn said.
Academic preparation, she said, ideally should include simulation experiences, geriatrics clinical skills training, intergenerational programs, communication skills training specifically geared toward working with older adults, and training on ageism and biases.
At some clinical sites, Dunn said, Seton Hall facilitates intergenerational programs to create a sense of community for staff members and older adults, including community service projects at assisted living or retirement communities. Interpersonal relationships with older adults are developed through those clinical interactions, she said.
