OTA 124 - Fundamentals of Gerontology

1. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of human development as it relates to older adults including basic theories of the aging process.
2. Identify personal and societal attitudes of aging. Articulate the ethical and practical considerations that affect the health and wellness needs of those who are experiencing or are at risk for social injustice, occupational deprivation and disparity in the receipt of services.
3. Articulate the importance of balancing areas of occupation with the achievement of health and wellness for the elderly.
4. Explain the role of occupation in the promotion of health and the prevention of disease and disability for the individual, family, and society.
5. Describe normal physiological and body changes of aging. Understand the effects of heritable diseases, genetic conditions, disability, trauma and injury to the physical and mental health as well as occupational performance of the geriatric population. Be able to:
   • Identify and describe chronic diseases common to the elderly.
   • Describe types of dementia as well as care of the elderly with dementia.
   • Identify the special needs of the frail elderly.
   • Describe problems/solutions associated with the use of medications.
6. Discuss how occupational therapy history and occupational therapy theory, and the sociopolitical climate influence practice.
7. Provide training in techniques to enhance community mobility, including public transportation, community access, and issues related to driver rehabilitation.
8. Enable feeding and eating performance and train others in precautions/techniques while considering the elderly client and contextual factors.
9. Promote the use of appropriate home and community programming to support performance in the elderly client’s natural environment and participation in all contexts relevant to the client to include:
   • Differentiate between various types of residences and living arrangements for the elderly.
   • Identify and describe components of the Medicare program.
   • Develop knowledge of community resources that serve the needs of the elderly as demonstrated by presentation of a panel presentation.
10. Effectively communicate and work interprofessionally with those who provide services to individuals and groups in order to clarify each member’s responsibility in executing an intervention plan.
11. Demonstrate skills of collaboration with occupational therapists and other professionals on therapeutic interventions.
12. Identify the potential impact of current policy issues and the social, economic, political, geographic, or demographic factors on the practice of occupational therapy
13. Promote occupational therapy by educating other professionals, service providers, consumers, third- party payers, regulatory bodies, and the public.

1. Demonstrate mastery of the occupational therapy foundational content requirements.
2. Discuss the basic tenets of occupational therapy.
3. Conduct and document a screening and evaluation process.
4. Intervene and implement occupational therapy processes.

• Critical Thinking - Critical thinking finds expression in all disciplines and everyday life. It is characterized by an ability to reflect upon thinking patterns, including the role of emotions on thoughts, and to rigorously assess the quality of thought through its work products. Critical thinkers routinely evaluate thinking processes and alter them, as necessary, to facilitate an improvement in their thinking and potentially foster certain dispositions or intellectual traits over time.
• Responsibility - Responsibility encompasses those behaviors and dispositions necessary for students to be effective members of a community. This outcome is designed to help students recognize the value of a commitment to those responsibilities which will enable them to work successfully individually and with others.