International fieldwork in the age of global aging: fostering intercultural competence through student research and service provision in a residential care facility for older Guatemalans.

International fieldwork in the age of global aging: fostering intercultural competence through student research and service provision in a residential care facility for older Guatemalans. Gerontol Geriatr Educ. 2019 Jan 07;:1-19 Authors: Perkinson MA Abstract Representing one model of global aging education, international gerontological fieldwork placements provide opportunities to gain firsthand knowledge of the impact of cultural contexts both on the experience of aging and the provision of eldercare. The gerontology component of the NAPA (National Association for the Practice of Anthropology)-OT Field School in Antigua, Guatemala fostered intercultural competence through student engagement in eldercare research and service provision in a residential care facility for older Guatemalans. Field trips to additional medical and gerontological care settings expanded students' perspectives of Guatemalan health and aging networks. The process of implementing the international gerontological fieldwork model and issues involved in its day-to-day enactment are described, including the development and initial year of the program, its underlying theoretical framework of social and occupational justice, the challenges involved, the trajectory of student involvement in the facility, social dynamics among students and residents, and the final outcomes of our work. PMID: 30615580 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Gerontology and Geriatrics Education - Category: Geriatrics Tags: Gerontol Geriatr Educ Source Type: research