UNIVERSAL CARE: IS THERE A COMMON GLOBAL TRAINING CURRICULUM FOR ELDER CARE STAFF?

摘要

As many countries are facing similar demographic changes and aging populations, the question of meeting these needs is a global one. As an increasingly global village, there is much to learn from each other in terms of education and training of those who support our older people. Although the idea of a common knowledge base has been questioned and debated (e.g., Payne), the issue of whether this is feasible and desirable remains. With examples from educational efforts within a municipality in Sweden, as well as an examination of certificate programs available to elder care staff in the United States, various ways of supporting professional staff working with older people is described and discussed. We explore the idea of finding a core of knowledge for staff and how this can be elaborated for professionals.