Gerontology Information and Training Needs of Cooperative Extension Professionals

Beliefs about Aging: Implications for Future Educational Programming

“…Cooperative Extension systems across the nation are becoming aware of population aging and the ramifications for service delivery (Nichols & Howard, 2002), and recent evidence of this trend may be seen in the current national effort to address family caregiving through the extension initiative (Sellers, Crocker, Nichols, Kirby, & Brintnall-Peterson, 2009). …”

Gerontology education offerings: experiences of Iowa Human Sciences Extension and Outreach educators

“…Following these efforts, past CES research has sought to examine aging and aging issues to better inform educational programs targeting older adults. Although some CES research has utilized the perspective of community members to identify key aging topics such as the mental and physical health of older adults (Kruger et al, 2011), other research has explored aging issues through the perspectives of Extension professionals who identified health care needs, transportation, and housing as local community needs (Nichols & Howard, 2002;Yelland et al, 2019). Using structured needs assessments is valuable in determining if current programming aligns with the perceived needs of communities; however, the results are limited to the predetermined topics and do not consistently match the needs identified by specialists (Yelland et al, 2019).…”

“…In addition to understanding the needs of older adults, CES researchers have also attempted to understand the tools, skills, or resources Extension professionals need to effectively reach older adults. Extension professionals indicate that they need more resources, staff, and better efforts to retain participants to make and maintain connections with older adults and that they are open to learning more about aging issues (Nichols & Howard, 2002). To understand perspectives on aging, Sellers et al (2010) completed focus groups with Extension professionals and identified four themes, covering topics of aging health issues, assistance provided by communities and families, personal experiences shaping their perceptions, and society's role in creating aging perceptions.…”

Resources for Advancing Family Gerontology Education and Practice*

“…Unprecedented growth in the number of older adults has resulted in an increasing demand for information about the aging process and a critical need for trained educators, healthcare providers, and service delivery professionals (Anderson, 1999). Currently, there is a growing presence of gerontology education in areas such as recreation and leisure, social work, theology, marriage and family therapy, and Cooperative Extension (Barber & Lyness, 2001;Beland & Kapes, 2003;Cummings & DeCoster, 2003;Knapp & Elder, 2002;Nichols & Howard, 2002). One trend in gerontology education is to offer gerontology specialization opportunities grounded in separate disciplines (e.g., psychology, biology, social work) or combining multiple disciplines.…”