Gerontology (GRNT)
GRNT 110 Introduction to Gerontology3 Credits
Introduction to the field of gerontology and to the issues of aging and older adults. Students will gain an understanding of the physical, psychological, social, and environmental forces that may influence older individuals.
Terms Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer.
GRNT 125 Community Resources for Older Adults3 Credits
Introduction to the supports and resources available in the community for older adults. Explores the needs of older persons in the community and evaluates the continuum of long term care available resources, service gaps, program models, and funding mechanisms.
Terms Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer.
GRNT 131 Hospice Care1 Credit
Introduction to hospice and hospice care, including the hospice philosophy, palliative care, pain and symptom management, death and the dying process, grief and bereavement. Also addresses hospice eligibility, ethics and confidentiality, interdisciplinary team roles, communication, advanced directives, care-giving issues, self-care, and alternative therapies.
Terms Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer.
GRNT 165 Activity Director Training2 Credits
Preparation to manage an activity department; do assessments and documentation; design, schedule, and implement appropriate activity programs; foster healthy resident and family dynamics; facilitate resident council meetings; manage personnel and resources.
Terms Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer.
GRNT 175 The Aging Mind3 Credits
Exploration of biological processes and issues related to the aging mind of older adults. The course will focus on normal and pathological changes the brain undergoes as a result of the aging process, and how these changes impact behavior and function. Topics will include neurological mechanisms of memory loss as well as modifiable risk factors.
Terms Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer.
GRNT 176 Cognitive Activity Design2 Credits
Exploration of the challenges of applying emerging, evidence-based research in memory and aging to address real-life cognitive challenges. Includes design and demonstration of innovative cognitive activities that are supported by recent brain science findings.
Terms Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer.
GRNT 177 Arts and Cognitive Activity Design1 Credit
Connection between the arts and brain health research to create art-related cognitive activities for older persons. Includes design and demonstration of creative arts as a sustainable cognitive activity for older persons. Explores why creative arts activities have a positive impact on an older person's brain and how their design is supported by recent brain science findings.
Terms Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer.
GRNT 181 Exploring the Field of Aging2 Credits
Introduction to the range of emerging professional opportunities in the field of aging. Explores and prioritizes potential career pathways. Includes career and labor market research; assessment of passions, interests, experiences and transferable skills; informational interviews, site visits, and networking; career and educational/training goal setting and planning.
Terms Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer.
GRNT 196 Topics:1-3 Credits
Course may be taken multiple times up to maximum of 15 credit hours.
GRNT 207 Ethics and Aging3 Credits
Investigation of central ethical issues pertaining to the care of elderly patients. Explores various ethical principles and frameworks and their application to various ethical issues and dilemmas that arise in caring for the elderly. Identifies ethical issues in caring for the elderly and helps develop more proficiency in ethical decision making.
Terms Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer.
GRNT 220 Law and Ethics for Health Professions2 Credits
Introduction to the study and application medical-legal concepts in medical careers. This course seeks to establish a foundation for ethical behavior and decision making in health professions.
Terms Typically Offered: Fall, Spring.
GRNT 233 Supporting End of Life3 Credits
Knowledge and skills for health care workers, caregivers, religious and spiritual counselors, social workers, fiduciaries, and family members to support the end of life process with dying persons and their families. Explores the physical, emotional, spiritual, legal, and financial aspects of dying, as well as grief and bereavement.
Terms Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer.
GRNT 234 Hospice Care1 Credit
Experiential learning in hospice and palliative care settings, with topics including the hospice philosophy, pain and symptom management, death and the dying process, as well as grief support. Also addresses hospice eligibility, ethics and confidentiality, interdisciplinary team roles, communication, advanced directives, care-giving issues, and self-care.
Prerequisites: GRNT 233.
Terms Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer.
GRNT 235 Introduction to Dementia Care3 Credits
Issues related to the care of older adults presenting behavioral and cognitive challenges, using a person-centered, person-directed approach. Introduces students to assessment, treatment and care of persons experiencing dementia, problematic mental health conditions, and the dying process.
Terms Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer.
GRNT 236 Dementia Care Practices1 Credit
Approaches to advanced behavioral and cognitive care issues, based on realistic case studies in a variety of settings. Includes assessing appropriate long term care options for memory care, problem solving, functional levels and other challenges, managing surveys, responding to deficiencies, problem solving repetitive incident reports, implementing fall prevention programs, and developing family education and support programs.
Terms Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer.
GRNT 237 End of Life Therapies/Practices1 Credit
Focus on a specific therapeutic approach appropriate for end of life care and exploration of a variety of strategies and activities designed to augment end of life through reaching palliative care goals and enhancing the quality of life for the dying person and their caregivers.
Terms Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer.
GRNT 240 Care and Service Coordination3 Credits
Overview of professional standards, responsibilities, and skills required for care managers, information and resource specialists, advocates, and service coordinators working with older adults, persons with disabilities, and their families. Includes the assessment process, care planning, resource management, service provider and financial coordination, documentation and accountability, ethics and confidentiality, advocacy, and evaluation. Introduces strength-based, person-centered, and empowerment models.
Terms Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer.
GRNT 245 Health and Aging3 Credits
Investigation of the major issues and concepts that deal with the study of the aging process. It will explore the demographic, social, and economic factors in aging as well as the effects of physical change and psychological behavior upon later life.
Terms Typically Offered: Fall, Spring.
GRNT 246 Aging and Mental Health3 Credits
Examination of mental health as it is impacted by the aging process. An in-depth look at how mental health affects an older adult's quality of life. An interdisciplinary and integrative approach looking at mental illness in the context of neurophysiological processes combined with effects of family systems, environment, personality, and social supports.
Terms Typically Offered: Fall, Spring.
GRNT 247 Applied Legal and Policy Issues in Aging3 Credits
Introduction to legal and policy issues affecting older adults and their families, as well as care providers. Focuses on how Medicare, Medicaid mental health, veteran's services, and abuse protective services contribute and protect older adults as well as areas where services may be lacking.
Terms Typically Offered: Fall.
GRNT 250 Death: Cross-Cultural Perspectives3 Credits
Interdisciplinary study of the cross-cultural variations regarding human responses to death and the differing cosmological implications these suggest. Death, a cultural universal, is addressed in its diversity from both anthropological and sociological perspective.
Terms Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer.
GRNT 260 Technology for Aging Services2 Credits
Role of technology in designing and developing devices and services for the aging population. This course explores ways of improving the quality of life, improving access to care, support for family and caregivers and reducing cost of care through technology.
Terms Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer.
GRNT 270 Neurology of Memory Loss2 Credits
Introduction to basic human neuroscience, leading to a discussion of brain diseases classified as Dementia.
Terms Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer.
GRNT 280 Management of Senior Living Communities3 Credits
Overview of senior housing and care, from congregate living to skilled nursing, from historical, philosophical and managerial perspectives. A focus will be on the role of health care delivery within seniors housing, with attention devoted to the determinants of quality care, various models of care, and the critical role of quality management.
Terms Typically Offered: Fall, Spring.
GRNT 294 Gerontology Professional Seminar1 Credit
Practice reviewing and modifying career and educational/training goals; reassessing the occupational outlook and labor market; building a professional network; formulating mission and vision statements and other branding tools; developing master portfolios and job-specific resumes, websites, brochures, cards, and other job tools; preparing for behavioral job interviews; and creating Degree and Certificate presentations in ePortfolios that assess learning outcomes.
Terms Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer.
GRNT 299 Internship3 Credits
Development of practical experience, skills and professional direction in achieving their career goals, working under supervision in an approved worksite through an intentional internship.
Terms Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer.
Course may be taken multiple times up to maximum of 6 credit hours.