Abstract
It is generally recognized that aging-services workers must deal with a variety of providers to serve an elderly clientele, but integration of evaluation and assessment techniques with appropriate referral and placement skills has been limited. A train ing series on geriatric clinical evaluation was designed, completed, and evaluated in terms of participants' abilities to deal with elderly clients from a multidisciplinary perspective. Trainees and controls (matched by agency) were observed in a field situation and rated on an 87-item checklist of behaviors associated with a multidimensional assessment approach. In an assessment of service strategies, trainees were found to be significantly more likely to reflect a multidimensional service orientation than controls in striving to maintain clients in a situation of maximum independence. The results suggest that geriatric clinical evaluation training provides an excellent and cost-effective approach to the development of new professionals and paraprofessionals who are sensitive to the full range of the needs of the elderly client and who are able to make best use of the range of services available. The training also provides the opportunity for experienced staff members to upgrade their knowledge and skills relevant to the elderly client population.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.