Medical education in facilities for the elderly. Impact on medical students, facility staff, and residents

J. O. Woolliscroft, J. G. Calhoun, B. R. Maxim and F. M. Wolf

The development of positive attitudes toward elderly patients has been identified as being an important factor in providing quality geriatric care. Medical students (N = 234) interviewed elderly individuals in three types of facilities, ranging from independent apartment living to nursing homes, as part of a required medical interviewing course. The students' attitudes were measured by an Attitudes Toward the Elderly scale before and after this course. Analyses disclosed significant posttest improvement in students' attitudes concerning the functioning, integrity, and personal acceptability of the elderly at all sites, except for attitudes toward functioning at nursing home sites. Staff and residents of participating facilities rated the experience favorably. This study shows that students' attitudes toward the elderly can be positively changed through incorporation of training at appropriate community facilities for the elderly into existing curricula.