Geriatric Mental Health Disaster and Emergency Preparedness

382 Appendix I A Guide to Developing Training Programs
meeting the needs of adult learners. In the mid-20th century, American
adult educator Malcolm Knowles adapted the concept of andragogy —
the art and science of helping adults learn — and forever influenced the
way adults learn and retain information. This principle of adult learning
theory states that the relationship between teacher and student is one
of mutual respect, that the student’s experience counts as much as the
teacher’s knowledge, and that learning is student centered rather than
teacher centered. In Knowles’s model of learning, the adult learner has
a problem-centered orientation to learning, an accumulation of life experiences
upon which new learning experiences can be built, an intrinsic
motivation to learn, and a need to be self-directed (Slusarski, 1994).
Knowles’s model of adult learning promotes a climate of openness, collaboration,
competence, creativity, and success. When developing training
programs, the principles of adult learning may be incorporated through
understanding and application, self-direction, collaboration, and critical
thinking.
Target Audience for the Training Program
Training programs in geriatric emergency preparedness are beneficial at
all levels of organization and government. Funding, training guidelines,
and certifications will vary depending on the level of training. A list of
potential government funders of training programs is provided in Table
Appendix I.1. Ideally, experts in the field of geriatric emergency training
should facilitate such programs, although there are currently no formal
teaching certifications implemented in this area. Officials, directors, and
administrators at all levels are highly encouraged to sponsor training programs
in geriatric emergency preparedness.
All health care workers will benefit from participating in these training
programs given their likely involvement in emergencies that impact
on older persons. These include medical doctors, registered nurses, licensed
practical nurses, social workers, pharmacists, audiologists, psychologists,
home health attendants /aides, mental health counselors, and
so forth. In addition, staff of long-term-care institutions, acute care facilities,
rehabilitation hospitals, community mental health clinics, and
emerging first responders are all appropriate audiences. Furthermore,
academic and public disaster preparedness centers, health associations,
and foundations specializing in geriatric issues can use this manual for
identifying educational programs in geriatric mental health and disaster
preparedness and for developing their own in-service training.