Age-Friendly University Research Articles

Students’ dementia experience, knowledge, and concern: An opportunity for Age-Friendly University (AFU) programming

ABSTRACT The Age-Friendly University (AFU) initiative was established as a framework to guide higher education in the development of programs, practices, and partnerships that support aging populations. This study examined the need for age-friendly efforts to include dementia-friendly educational opportunities by providing information about undergraduate students’ personal experience, knowledge, and concern regarding dementia and Alzheimer’s disease (D/AD), along with their interest in D/AD educational support. A total of 106 students responded (30% response rate) to an online survey distributed in diverse classes, with more than 50% of students indicating that they had experience with someone with D/AD, primarily a grandparent. Students showed low levels of knowledge and strong concern about developing D/AD, confirming the need for more dementia-focused efforts. Students also expressed interest in a number of educational activities. These data call for AFU institutions to offer more age-friendly, dementia-friendly programs that provide students with needed information and support related to D/AD.

"고령친화대학(AFU) 관점에서 바라본 지역대학을 활용한 고령자 평생학습 체계구축에 관한 연구"

대학은 지역사회 전문성과 인프라가 집약된 유일의 고등교육 기관이기 때문에 고령자의 평생학습의 욕구를 충족하고 증가하는 수요를 효과적으로 감당할 수 있는 중요한 자원이다. 이에 본 연구에서는 지역대학을 활용하여 고령자들의 평생학습을 효과적으로 대응할 수 있는 방안을 강구하였다. 이를 위해 뉴욕의 고령친화도시 칼리지 링크 사례를 통해 국내 적용가능한 시사점을 도출하였다. 더불어 전문가 조사(Expert Survey)를 실시하였으며 최종적으로 지역대학을 활용한 고령자 평생학습 시스템 구축안을 도출하였다.

Age-Friendly University environmental scan: Exploring “age-friendliness” with stakeholders at one regional comprehensive university

ABSTRACT Internationally, universities are recognizing the importance of understanding and enhancing age as a component of diversity and inclusion efforts through the Age-Friendly University (AFU) initiative. Eastern Michigan University (EMU) joined the AFU Network in 2018 and has been conducting an environmental scan of supports, weaknesses, and opportunities for age inclusiveness since this time. This article describes a qualitative exploratory study undertaken as part of the Environmental Scan that aimed to understand the perspectives of university stakeholders on supports, barriers, and opportunties to age-friendliness. Twenty-eight participant stakeholders from divisions across the university campus were purposefully sampled to engage in in-depth interviews that were recorded and transcribed. Qualitative thematic findings generated through constant comparative method of analysis include: Experience Sharing, Need for Intentionality in Age-Friendly Efforts, and Existence of Age-Inclusivity Barriers and Opportunities for Change.

The COVID-19 Pandemic Exposes Limited Understanding of Ageism

ABSTRACT During the COVID-19 pandemic, justification for orders to shelter in place have emphasized the vulnerability of older people. Although other at-risk groups were sometimes mentioned, the emphasis on older people could have effects on attitudes about aging and older people for decades to come. This essay provides a comprehensive biopsychosocial description of ageism and discusses the pandemic as a “focusing event” that exemplifies the extreme social consequence of ageism for the entire older population. It suggests revisions to the Elder Justice Act and utilization of programs such as the Reframing Aging, Age-Friendly University, and Ageism First Aid initiatives to reduce ageism in the wake of the pandemic.

Exploring University Age-Friendliness Using Collaborative Citizen Science.

Background and ObjectivesSince the launch of Dublin City University’s Age-Friendly University (AFU) Initiative in 2012, relatively little empirical research has been published on its feasibility or implementation by institutions of higher learning. This article describes how collaborative citizen science—a research method where professional researchers and community members work together across multiple stages of the research process (e.g., data collection, analysis, and/or knowledge mobilization) to investigate an issue—was used to identify barriers and supports to university age-friendliness at the University of Manitoba (UofM) in Canada.Research Design and MethodsTen citizen scientists each completed 1 data collection walk around the UofM campus and used a tablet application to document AFU barriers and supports via photographs and accompanying audio commentaries. The citizen scientists and university researchers then worked together in 2 analysis sessions to identify AFU priority areas and brainstorm recommendations for institutional change. These were then presented to a group of interested university stakeholders.ResultsThe citizen scientists collected 157 photos documenting AFU barriers and supports on campus. Accessibility, signage, and transportation were identified as being the most pressing issues for the university to address to improve overall age-friendliness.Discussion and ImplicationsWe suggest that academic institutions looking to complete assessments of their age-friendliness, particularly those exploring physical barriers and supports, could benefit from incorporating older citizen scientists into the process of collecting, analyzing, and mobilizing findings.

Making the Case for Age-Diverse Universities.

Life expectancy has increased substantially; yet universities remain age-segregated and fail to educate people across the longer life course. Demographic shifts call for universities to change their orientation toward age and life course. Arguments as to why universities should serve students of all ages and operate as age-diverse communities include: ensuring the capacity of individual workers and the labor force; educating people to succeed in age-diverse settings; producing innovation in an aging society; supporting meaningful engagement, social connection, and cognitive health into later life; and ensuring the supply of students. Conceptual foundations for these arguments derive from ideas about age stratification, where chronological age is used as a criterion for inclusion or exclusion from social expectations, roles, and privileges and where age integration is viewed as a positive alternative. In response to population aging and the constraints associated with age segregation in higher education, the Age-Friendly University Global Network was formed to increase the inclusion of older learners in all aspects of university life. The challenge is to create conditions where nontraditionally aged students expect to engage fully in educational activities, where students of all ages are valued and supported, and where age diversity is a common feature of campus life. The transformation of our universities must be done for the sake of society, for younger and older people, and for the self-interest of institutions themselves.

INTEREST GROUP SESSION—AGE-FRIENDLY UNIVERSITY (AFU): AGE-FRIENDLY UNIVERSITY CAMPUSES: PUTTING PRINCIPLES INTO PRACTICE

The pioneering Age-Friendly University (AFU) initiative, endorsed in 2016 by GSA’s Academy for Gerontology in Higher Education (AGHE), calls for institutions of higher education to respond to shifting demographics and the needs of our aging populations through more age-friendly programs, practices, and partnerships. Over 45 institutions in the United States, Canada, European countries, and beyond have joined the network and adopted the 10 AFU guiding principles. This symposium will feature leaders at AFU campuses who will discuss why their institution joined the initiative, their age-friendly campus vision, and how they are putting AFU principles into practice. AFU Washington University St. Louis leaders will describe efforts to increase age-diversity on their campus, especially through professional studies programs that support personal and career development in the second half of life. AFU University of Southern California leaders will discuss new age-friendly efforts entailing intergenerational exchange, best practices of age-friendly programming for retired employees and alumni, and emerging connections to local community aging initiatives. AFU Eastern Michigan University leaders will round out the presentation with an overview of accomplishments of their campus-wide steering committee and its age-friendly evaluation research that informed the needs and interests of older learners pursuing second careers, as well as how to actively engage emeritus faculty and staff as a retired community on campus. The discussant will provide integrating comments and age-friendly suggestions for putting AFU principles into practice.

EXECUTING AN ENVIRONMENTAL SCAN OF UNIVERSITY AGE-FRIENDLINESS: FINDINGS FROM A MIXED METHODS STUDY

Internationally, universities are recognizing the importance of understanding and enhancing age as a component diversity and inclusion efforts through the Age-Friendly University (AFU) initiative. This session will describe an environmental scan of “age-friendliness” that one AFU university designed. The overall aims of the project include: (1) exploring how stakeholders understand age-friendliness, (2) identifying current efforts and opportunities that exist within the university, and (3) gathering data that describes the perception of barriers that older learners encounter at the university. This presentation will be used to discuss a mixed-methods study that included interviews and a survey of performance and importance ratings of the international AFU principles. Twenty-eight participants were purposefully recruited from divisions across a campus of a regional university to participate in in-depth interview data collection with the research team. Qualitative thematic findings that emerged through a constant comparative method of analysis of interview transcripts include: Existence of Age-Inclusivity Barriers and Opportunities for Change, Need for Intentionality in Age-Friendly Efforts, and Importance of Connections. Furthermore, AFU principle performance and importance ratings were descriptively analyzed in order to prioritize university efforts to enhance inclusion initiatives related to age.

AGE-FRIENDLY UNIVERSITIES: POSSIBILITIES AND POWER IN CAMPUS CONNECTIONS

Populations are aging locally, nationally, and globally – and challenging institutions of higher education to consider how they can respond to these changing demographics through new approaches to teaching, research, and community engagement. The Age-Friendly University (AFU) initiative was recently launched by an international team convened by Dublin City University, and endorsed by the Academy for Gerontology in Higher Education (AGHE). The AFU concept and 10 guiding principles provide a guiding campus-wide framework that colleges and universities can use for distinguishing and evaluating age-friendly programs and policies, as well as identifying institutional gaps and opportunities for growth. To date, over 45 institutions have joined the AFU global network. This presentation will describe how collaborations across aging-focused programs and campus units devoted to diversity, community engagement, professional studies, and related educational efforts offer prime opportunities to build and sustain an AFU vision.

PURSUING AGE-FRIENDLY UNIVERSITY PRINCIPLES AT A MAJOR UNIVERSITY: LESSONS IN GRASSROOTS ORGANIZING

Rapid population aging presents opportunities for higher education to address major aging-related public issues facing society that have a direct impact on students, faculty, and both local and global communities. Students in virtually all disciplines will be working within the context of an aging society post-graduation and need to be prepared as they make career choices and enter the workforce. Further, faculty and staff are not only aging themselves but may be caregivers, which has an impact on health, income and productivity. Michigan State University (MSU) is now addressing these needs through a new program guided by Age-Friendly University (AFU) principles called AgeAlive that grew out of five years of grassroots organizing. Large-scale, research-intensive institutions present special challenges to pursuing AFU status but the lessons learned by AgeAlive may help any organization that wishes to become more age friendly. This session will review AgeAlive’s path to a recognized program with a clear vision, a strategic plan, two crosscutting goals including AFU designation, and five focus areas with initiatives in each area. Tools to help achieve these goals include an inventory of aging-related activity on campus and a virtual hub for networking and information exchange. Key steps in the program development process will be described as will recommendations related to choosing a model, cultivating champions, making decisions based on data, and building infrastructure. It will allow others to understand what challenges they may face and potential approaches to minimizing and overcoming these challenges in their own AFU journey.

LAYING THE GROUNDWORK FOR BECOMING AN AGE-FRIENDLY UNIVERSITY: A MULTI-PHASE STUDY

As evidenced by the growing Age-Friendly University (AFU) global network, institutions of higher education are increasingly seeking ways to enhance the experiences of older adults who use them for reasons such as lifelong learning, career development, and intergenerational engagement. This multi-phase study explored the barriers and facilitators for older adults accessing a public university in a small Oregon town. The first phase of the study involved survey data collection from 46 members of the local senior center adjacent to the university campus. For the second phase, researchers recruited a sample from the survey respondents and used snowball sampling to conduct 12 interviews with senior center members, past and current senior center directors, and key contacts among university staff. The third phase of data collection paired student researchers with older adult research participants (N=14) in participatory action research to capture the unique perspectives of the research participants visiting the university campus using photovoice and a follow-up focus group. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS while qualitative data were analyzed using team coding and intensive group discussion to develop categories and themes. Findings revealed various opportunities to increase age-friendliness according to the principles outlined by the AFU initiative, such as developing a lifelong learning center on campus, strengthening the university-senior center partnership, and removing accessibility barriers in order to make the university campus friendlier for people of all ages and abilities. These findings are being used in a proposal to join the AFU network and to shape the university’s AFU vision.

PRESIDENTIAL SYMPOSIUM: EDUCATION NETWORKS: STRENGTHENING GERONTOLOGY AND GERIATRICS THROUGH CONNECTIVITY

The AGHE Presidential Symposium, related to the theme of the annual scientific meeting, underscores the importance of networks, collaborations and partnerships in advancing education in gerontology and geriatrics. AGHE has been at the forefront of many innovative programs since it was founded in 1974, contributing to the growth of the field and the recognition of education as one pillar of the field of gerontology and geriatrics, along with research, policy and practice. This symposium highlights three ongoing initiatives that promote connections and collaborations. The first paper discusses the Age-Friendly University (AFU) network which is made of institutions around the globe who have committed themselves to becoming more age-friendly in their programs and policies. AGHE endorses the AFU principles and invites its members and affiliates to call upon their institutions become part of this pioneering initiative. The AFU initiative is one of several international activities that AGHE, global leaders in education on aging, has engaged in. The second paper describes international networking activities such as collaborations with international organizations including the World Health Organization and connecting international and US students. In the third paper, initiatives to connect disciplines and professions through competency-based education and curricula are discussed. For instance, the Gerontology Competencies for Undergraduate and Graduate Education and the Program of Merit promote competency-based gerontology education across disciplines and professions.

BUILDING AN AGE-FRIENDLY UNIVERSITY: AN INTERGENERATIONAL CAREGIVER EDUCATION PROGRAM

A rapidly aging U.S. population means an increased need for supportive services that allows aging in place. Eighty percent of such support is provided by unpaid family caregivers, many of whom are juggling multiple obligations. There is clear evidence that mental health risks of caregiving include social isolation, depression and identity loss, and potentially “caregiver burnout”. This study focuses on the lesser known impact of caregiving on college students who care for older family members and if their experiences differ from older caregivers. Presumably, students face additional stressors related to their age and school demands. Further, we posited that learning more about the aging process and interfacing with older retirees who are family caregivers through an intergenerational educational program would benefit both populations. Hosted by a campus organization, AgeAlive, which is dedicated to building an Age-Friendly University, the team’s specific aims included: 1. Conducting focus groups to identify concerns among college student and retiree family caregivers related to aging, caregiving, dementia, and intergenerational relationships. 2. Developing and piloting an intergenerational, educational program with the objective of addressing these concerns, and 3. Evaluating the program’s impact on measurable outcomes such as perceptions of aging, caregiver stress, and knowledge of resources. Focus group findings indicate that there are both shared concerns and divergent perspectives that provide opportunities for cross-generational learning. All program participants reported improved knowledge of aging, communication skills, and resources that will have a direct, positive impact. Lessons learned can guide development of supportive services for student and retiree caregivers.

AFU PRINCIPLES IN ACTION: ENGAGING STUDENTS THROUGH HANDS-ON AGE-RELATED ACTIVITIES

The Age-Friendly University (AFU) Initiative is a global network of universities working to embrace and promote the growing population of older adults (OAs) on campuses. Integrating inter-generational learning is a proven benefit to share knowledge (Gerpott, Lehmann-Willenbrock, & Velopel, 2017) and to mutually benefit both older and more traditional learners (Pstross, Corrigan, Knopf, et al., 2017). To thoughtfully develop AFU initiatives on their campus, one midwestern university created an educational activity for students to better understand the needs of OAs. This presentation will cover results of this activity and offer suggestions for aging-focused learning activities. In winter 2019, 23 undergraduate students from 5 disciplines participated in a guided sensory activity with 5 Masters in Social Work (MSW) students that simulated impaired vision, hearing, and dexterity. Afterwards, using the AARP walking audit, they walked campus to understand challenges those with limitations might face. Students then completed a guided reflection and thought of ways to advocate for anyone with physical challenges, both off and on campus. This activity resulted in several successful learning outcomes and provided concrete experiences, establishing grounds to think about advocacy in a practical way. First, the undergraduate students presented their experiences at a campus-wide activism and advocacy event. They aimed to 1) increase awareness of the challenges those with visual and physical challenges and 2) promote the AFU initiatives. MSW students further analyzed their experience from a policy perspective and presented to the AFU steering committee with recommendations to influence policy in alignment with the AFU principles.

Becoming an Age-Friendly University (AFU): Integrating a retirement community on campus

ABSTRACT As populations age at record rates, institutions must ready themselves to be more age-friendly. Institutions with an affiliated university-based retirement community (UBRC) are particularly poised to adopt the Age-Friendly University (AFU) campus concept. The partnership of Lasell College and Lasell Village is used to illustrate how AFU principles can be implemented to extend older adults’ access to various educational opportunities. Specially-designed efforts such as the Talk of Ages program provide intergenerational exchange to facilitate the reciprocal sharing of expertise between different-aged learners and mitigate negative age attitudes. Programs such as Faculty Fellows build capacity to support greater attention to aging education and extend intergenerational connections across the curriculum. Challenges inherent in leadership, awareness, classroom dynamics, and ageism are also explored alongside opportunities that an AFU approach brings in light of such challenges.

Pursuing Age-Friendly University (AFU) principles at a major university: Lessons in grassroots organizing

ABSTRACTPopulation aging presents challenges and opportunities that Michigan State University (MSU) is now taking on in a strategic way, but it has been a long road to reach a major milestone of establishing a program called AgeAlive. AgeAlive builds on fifty years of advocacy for coordinated aging-related programming and a more current grassroots effort that has led to a commitment to building an aging network connecting research, education, and outreach efforts based on Age-Friendly University principles. This case study describes AgeAlive’s path from inception to a recognized program with a clear vision and strategic plan. Concrete goals include a complete inventory of aging-related activity on campus, a virtual hub for networking and information exchange, educational opportunities for students and elders, and building new retirement pathways. The MSU experience may benefit others interested in developing similar programs by offering strategies for moving forward amidst challenges inherent in large-scale, research-intensive institutions.

Becoming and being an Age-Friendly University (AFU): Strategic considerations and practical implications

ABSTRACT Becoming and being an Age-Friendly University (AFU) require developing a strategic plan for enlisting support across campus for the AFU principles and embarking on an ongoing process for continuing to promote them as an academic community. Throughout this process, the use of a conceptual framework for change in academic settings can be helpful. The University of Rhode Island (URI) recently became an AFU after a campus-wide process of identifying activities that already supported AFU principles and enlisting key sources of support for embracing them. In particular, an emerging emphasis within URI on developing lifelong-learning and intergenerational programs provided a firm foundation upon which to build the case. This paper proposes a conceptual framework for developing a strategy for change in an academic setting, and then illustrates how URI has utilized it to move forward with becoming more “aging friendly.” Implications for continuing development consistent with the AFU principles will be discussed.

Charting a future for Canada’s first Age-Friendly University (AFU)

ABSTRACT Situated within a Canadian context, but with implications for a broad range of institutional settings, this paper describes the events that preceded the adoption of the Age-Friendly University (AFU) framework at the University of Manitoba (U of M), as well as the specific strategies being employed within the university to assess and encourage age-friendliness. These include: a) the university’s Centre on Aging and its mandate to foster interdisciplinary age-related research and community dialogue, b) the creation of an interdisciplinary AFU committee and several working groups, c) innovative research projects that have assessed university age-friendliness from a variety of stakeholder perspectives, and d) an interactive undergraduate course activity being used to educate students about AFU features. Present and future AFU challenge areas and potential solutions are discussed.

Health professions education: Advancing geriatrics and gerontology competencies through Age-Friendly University (AFU) Principles

ABSTRACT This article elucidates opportunities for health professions education programs to make a mark in the Age Friendly University (AFU) initiative. Specifically, key approaches are introduced for health professions education programs based on the Age Friendly University Global Network initiative and the Academy for Gerontology/Geriatrics in Higher Education (AGHE) Program of Merit for Health Professions Programs. Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) that offer health professions education, have various options to establish and enhance student gerontology/geriatrics competence and confidence. However, two options are germane to new initiatives that are making their mark in HEIs. First, Age Friendly University Guiding Principles applicable to health professions education allow health gerontology faculty to be catalysts to promote and integrate these principles within their program’s curriculum contributing to their institution’s readiness to apply for the Age Friendly University designation. Second, the Academy for Gerontology in Higher Education (AGHE) Program of Merit (POM) provides specific geriatrics/gerontology competencies for health professions programs to integrate into the program’s curriculum along with an option to attain recognition as an AGHE Program of Merit. Attaining both designations contributes to preparing future health professions providers with improved older adult health care skills that also benefits older adults.

Creating an intergenerational university hub: Engaging older and younger users in the shaping of space and place

ABSTRACT Intergenerational initiatives in post-secondary settings have demonstrated health and social benefits. However, there is a lack of detail with regard to the process by which such initiatives are conceptualized and the role of older and younger users in their development. Guided by the principles of an Age-Friendly University (AFU) alongside elements from a ‘Design Thinking’ approach, this project outlines the process undertaken to design a new intergenerational space to promote intergenerational connectivity. An online student survey (n = 504; 72.2% female) and focus groups were conducted with older adults (n = 22; 12 females; aged 70–95), which found similar themes across age groups with respect to: 1) past intergenerational experiences; 2) perceived benefits/challenges of accessing the space, and; 3) activity suggestions. Using these findings, alongside direct stakeholder input, Occupational Therapy students developed programming and design suggestions for the space in question aimed at strengthening interactions across age and ability. Results from this process indicate consulting with older and younger users can circumvent potential challenges and inform the design of campus-based initiatives that can promote intergenerational exchange.