RECIPES FOR ADULT LEARNING: INNOVATIONS IN TEACHING GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY: Session 302

Abstract

Abstract Recent data estimate the number of US residents age 65 or older to be roughly 40 million, accounting for 13% of the population. It is projected that the elderly will comprise more than 20% of the national population by 2050 (Federal Interagency Forum on Aging Statistic 2012, APA Textbook on Geriatric Psychiatry). This ballooning population of older persons will generate increased demand for health care and social resources, with an urgent need for affordable, and accessible, mental health services. The aging brain is susceptible to a number of psychiatric disorders, including depression, anxiety, and dementia, all adversely affecting quality of life and functional ability of an older person. Alzheimer s Disease alone accounts for 50-70% of all cases of dementia and currently affects ∼5.7 million in the US. As the U.S. population ages, these rates are expected to increase, placing extraordinary demands on systems of care. By 2050, costs related to caring for those living with dementia are projected to top 1 trillion dollars, translating to a greater than 300% increase in Medicare cost (Alzheimer s Facts and Figures, 2018). Given these trends, the public health demand for geriatric psychiatry education is critical. Health care systems need skilled geriatric psychiatrists to advise and assist in the care of a burgeoning older population, many with concomitant mental health issues (IOM report: “In Whose Hands”). Active learning approaches to the assimilation of knowledge are replacing more passive, lecture based approaches across the medical education system. Knowledge and experience in these novel techniques will impact Geriatric Psychiatric education and prepare the next generation of clinical educators. Learning should occur across the spectrum of training, beginning with student physicians in medical school. Given that the number of new geriatric psychiatrists graduating from fellowships each year is approximately 1 per US state, society will be best served by the training of clinical providers as early as possible. This session will provide a foundation for developing innovative attitudinal, knowledge, and skills based learning opportunities.