University of Alabama at Birmingham

Social work students enrolled in Human Behavior and the Social Environment II participated in the UAB Geriatric Education Center’s Interdisciplinary Team Training Senior Mentor program as a part of the experiential learning project. Students worked in interdisciplinary teams that included trainees from other disciplines such as medicine, nursing and occupational therapy, optometry, pharmacy, dietary and physical therapy to develop a comprehensive care plan.

he aims of the project are for students to: 1) learn and apply theories of human behavior that help them to understand an older adult’s life situations/reactions; 2) watch an interview/assessment of an older adult take place by an interdisciplinary healthcare team; 3) participate in an interdisciplinary team meeting during which they meet with faculty and participants from other disciplines to obtain a perspective on assessment and develop a care plan; 4) take a pre- and posttest to evaluate the effectiveness of the learning activity.

Courses that Included Experiential Activity:

• Human Behavior and the Social Environment

Gero Practice Behaviors:

• Conduct a comprehensive geriatric assessment (bio-psychosocial evaluation).