Course aims to build better understanding of the elderly
Flathead Valley Community College recently announced that students may now earn a 16-unit gerontology certificate entirely online.
Instructor Linda Hunt designed the courses to train people who want to work with older adults, a definite growth industry with the aging of America. She called the classes ideal for people now working with the elderly population.
According to Hunt, students say they also benefit in unexpected ways.
"A lot of people told me taking the classes helped them with aging parents and grandparents," Hunt said.
The certificate provides the most obvious benefit to people working with older adults in nursing homes and similar environments. But Hunt said the information has value for many others, including businesses with elderly customers.
"I had a lawyer in one class who wanted to learn how to better serve his older adult clients," she said.
The instructor said the information provided in the classes is very broad with direct application for employers. Hunt said they learn about older workers' strengths, such as a strong work ethic, as well as their problem areas.
"They may not be able to multitask, but they do focus jobs very well," Hunt said. "They're dedicated and they help mentor younger workers."
Research shows that multitasking ability declines in most people in their early 60s. On the other hand, younger people bore easily with focused tasks, so knowledgeable managers become more efficient by assigning age-appropriate work.
Registration for these and other Flathead Valley Community College courses began Monday for the spring semester that starts on Jan. 26. Hunt serves as an adjunct instructor at the community college as well as an associate professor of occupational therapy at Pacific University in Oregon.
The instructor, who holds a doctorate, spent many years researching the field of aging as an occupational therapy educator. She has two research projects currently under way that provide potential students a glimpse into gerontology studies.
People interested in more information may consult the college Web site, www.fvcc.edu, for the spring schedule of classes or call 756-3847.
One of her projects teaches mindfulness, meditation and lifestyle redesign to certified nursing assistants. According to Hunt, the goal is to reduce their job stress through better communication and interaction with their elderly patients.
As an example, she said she teaches them ways to calm themselves when stressed and facing a task such as helping a patient bathe by focusing on them as a person.
"Being present for other people, listening to them, saves time and mistakes," she said.
Hunt's other research looks at the impact of early Alzheimer's disease on the ability to drive. She said that stress, combined with compromised cognition, has led to tragic consequences.
"A number of people have driven onto boat ramps," she said. "It's really frightening."
Hunt pointed to another example of a man who attempted to drive to the dump with his garbage but became disoriented and ended up on an isolated road in Polebridge. He died of exposure.
Hunt draws on her own research, as well as an explosion across the spectrum of research into aging, to benefit students working for the gerontology certificate.
"I try to stir interest in individuals to work in this field," she said.
Hunt said students will find the courses emphasize 'real world, hands-on assignments' and very few exams. As an example, Hunt has students interview older adults about their lives. She also has them research job opportunities in the field of aging.
People interested in more information may consult the college Web site, www.fvcc.edu, for the spring schedule of classes or call 756-3847.
Reporter Candace Chase may be reached at 758-4436 or by e-mail at cchase@dailyinterlake.com.