Section on Geriatrics, APTA

Educational Resources for Faculty

Essential Competencies in the Care of Older Adults at the Completion of the Entry-level Physical Therapist Professional Program

After almost a year-and-a-half of work, the Section on Geriatrics (SOG) â€“ APTA, is pleased to release its Essential Competencies in the Care of Older Adults at the Completion of the Entry-level Physical Therapist Professional Program of Study. This document was developed by the Retooling for an Aging America Taskforce of the SOG. Hard copies of this document are in the process of being mailed to the directors of all physical therapist education programs in the U.S. Included in the cover letter is the request that directors share this document with all faculty members involved in teaching aging and geriatrics-related topics within their entry-level professional physical therapist education programs.

The basis for formulating Essential Competencies and the developmental processes employed are outlined in the introductory section which precedes the specified domains, competencies and sub-competencies of the document.

The SOG strongly encourages physical therapist education programs to assure that their graduates are competent in the care of older adults. It is hoped that Essential Competencies will serve as a useful tool in guiding the development of curricular content, learning experiences, and outcome measures for physical therapy students who, on average, will be working with a significant number of older adults during their careers. The SOG is undertaking development of a similar document for the physical therapist assistant.

Questions related to Essential Competencies can be directed to Rita Wong, PT, EdD. Chair of the Retooling Taskforce at rwong@marymount.edu

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Resources for Faculty Teaching in Entry-level Professional Physical Therapist Education Programs

In an effort to further facilitate the inclusion of aging / geriatrics-related content in physical therapist education program curricula, the Section on Geriatrics (SOG) of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) is making the following resources available to faculty members, regardless of their APTA or SOG membership status:

Multidisciplinary Entry-Level Professional Competencies in the Care of Older Adults - Released by the American Geriatrics Society

A set of core competencies that ten healthcare disciplines, including medicine, nursing and physical therapy, should have upon graduation from their entry-level professional degree programs, in order to provide quality care for older adults, was released at the 2010 Annual Meeting of the American Geriatrics Society (AGS). These competencies were developed by a workgroup of the Partnership for Health in Aging, a coalition of more than 20 organizations representing eldercare professions that the AGS first convened in 2008. SOG president John O. Barr, PT, PhD, was a member of the workgroup, while members Rita Wong, PT, EdD, and Dale Avers, PT, DPT, PhD, served as APTA reviewers. The APTA is one of 28 organizations that have formally endorsed these competencies. The complete competencies document, including further background information and related definitions, can be found at this link.

These competencies are intentionally broad, in order to provide a baseline for geriatrics and gerontology training by a range of disciplines involved in the care of older adults Each discipline will need to determine how the competencies will be incorporated into and taught by their training programs, and measured by their accreditation and licensing organizations. The SOG’s Retooling Taskforce will be doing further work on implementation of these competencies by the physical therapy profession. Both new graduates and experienced physical therapists and physical therapist assistants should consider reviewing these competencies as a means of self-assessment and as a stimulus for professional development.

Physical Therapists as Exercise Experts with Aging Adults Curriculum Guidelines

Developed by the SOG Committee on the Certified Exercise Expert for Aging Adults

Included are:

The July 7, 2009, letter sent to the directors of all CAPTE-accredited physical therapist education programs.

The Guidelines document.

Background and reference materials.

Certified Exercise Experts for Aging Adults

Information on this three course series and the related certification process can be found at this link