Examining the effects of an experiential interprofessional education activity with older adults

ABSTRACT

The need for experienced healthcare professionals to work with older adults is great, yet educational training is limited. In this interprofessional education (IPE) study, 861 students from five professions made 293 visits in the homes or preferred community settings of 208 older adults. Surveys with quantitative and open-text feedback assessed attitudes towards older adults, IPE team functioning, and the value of home visits. Survey results showed strongly positive attitudes towards ageing and older adults. Students from all professions expressed surprise and admiration for the active lives led by these healthier older adults, lives clearly in contrast to stereotypes of ageing. They further acknowledged the value of collaborative team functioning in meeting older adult needs, learned more about the roles and responsibilities of other professions, and identified strengths of the home as a site for care. Students positively valued the experience as part of their professional training, with 82% of all students stating they would welcome additional IPE opportunities. Results suggest that an experiential IPE activity can positively shape student attitudes towards older adults, IPE, and interprofessional collaboration.

KEYWORDS:

• Experiential learning
• interprofessional collaboration
• interprofessional education
• older adults
• surveys

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank all older adults and students who participated in this programme. In addition, they thank Frank Stasa Jr., Supriya Misra, Paul Richards, and Greg Weaver for technology support throughout the project.

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.

Additional information

Funding

Partial funding was provided by the Arthur Vining Foundation and CVS/Caremark.