Quality Assurance in Gerontological and Geriatric Training Programs: The European Case

Abstract

Quality assurance (QA) in gerontological and geriatric education programs is regarded as essential to maintain standards, strengthen accountability, improve readability of qualifications, and facilitate professional mobility. In this article the authors present a summary of international developments in QA and elaborate four international trends, including the pros and cons of QA. Furthermore, the authors focus on accreditation and credit transfer opportunities in vocational and academic education programs for primary care practitioners, including nurses, home care workers, social workers, physiotherapists, and family doctors involved in the care of older people in nine European countries and highlight changes that have occurred over the last decade. Vocational education and professional training in elderly care at the basic and postgraduate specialization level remains extremely diversified, reflecting the lack of standardization for programs outside the higher education sector. The situation is ripe for the implementation of the European Qualifications Framework, which is intended to promote transparency, comparability and portability of qualifications at different levels and the introduction of a credit transfer system for vocational education to be established in 2012.

Keywords:

• accreditation
• quality assurance
• credit transfer
• professional and vocational education
• geriatrics
• gerontology

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to acknowledge the support of the European Commission in the form a grant from the European Union (Leonardo da Vinci Programme, no. UK/98/2/5792/PI/II.1.1.a/FPC, “Geriatric Assessment Technology Training Project—GATT”), which provided funding for part of the study reported. We are indebted to the members of the GATT project team for help with data collection in the initial project.

Notes

[Supplemental materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Gerontology & Geriatrics Education for the following free supplemental resources: a breakdown of basic professional education and vocational training for nurses working with older people in the community in various countries; and a breakdown of vocational education and training for home care workers in various countries.]

1 European Union Leonardo da Vinci Programme no. UK/98/2/5792/PI/II.1.1.a/FPC “Geriatric Assessment Technology Training Project – GATT”.