WELCOME to A.G.E.

Geriatrics is an exciting and rewarding field of care for health professionals. This 40 hour curriculum is filled with valuable information and experiences designed to add to your knowledge and skills. Your participation in AGE shows your strong commitment as a health care professional or health professions student to serve the elderly. We congratulate you for taking this step to become better prepared for this service.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is seen as a major public health problem that severely impacts millions of older Americans and their families. The AGE curriculum provides a basic understanding of this disease and methods to improve communication between you and your patients.. In addition, you will be able to choose webinars to watch from a variety of topics to fit your particular area of interest. You will have the opportunity to interview seniors which will help you understand some of the needs unique to this population. You will also observe a site of senior care to learn about how they function and the types of staff involved in providing care. Finally, you will develop a better under- standing of how to communicate with patients with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.

AGE is completed by distance education in order to mesh with your schedule and location. You will be paired with a "mentor" who will answer questions, track your progress, and present you with a certificate of completion at the conclusion of the program. This table outlines the program content.

Activity	Hours
Program Orientation	1
Understanding Alzheimer's Disease	4
OkGEC Webinars (3)	3
Home Safety	2
Structured Interviews (2)	12
Active Observation	6
Communicating With Patients With Alzheimer's Disease	12
Total Hours	40

Good luck and much success in your work in seniors' health care.

Thomas A. Teasdale, DrPH, Director, Oklahoma Geriatric Education Center
Sheryl A. Mapes, MPH, Associate Director, Oklahoma Geriatric Education Center