Transforming the curriculum through the intergenerational lens

Abstract

Our society is aging at a rapid rate and with this trend comes many of the social and economic demands that the profession of Social Work addresses. Akey dilemma of the profession is how to interest and educate undergraduate social work students in aging and gerontology so that the needs of elderly can be supported. Social Work students notoriously are primarily interested in working with children and adolescents. With the support of the John A. Hartford Foundation's Geriatric Enrichment in Social Work Education grant, the authors developed a Spiral Perspective to infuse intergenerational content into the curriculum of their department and to give students exposure to geriatric content throughout their educational experience.