This course is based on an article published by the National Institute of Aging: a division of the National Institute of Health. The publication can also be found on the National Institute of Aging website. The publication describes the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) in detail. This study is an in depth longitudinal study sponsored by the NIA involving more than 20,000 men and women over the age of 50. 

 

Clearly the aging of America will have a profound impact on individuals, families, and U.S. society. This publication describes the breadth and depth of the HRS to help familiarize a broad range of researchers; policymakers; media; and organizations concerned with health, economics, and aging with this data resource. This colorful data book describes the HRSs development and features and offers a snapshot of research findings based on analyses of the Study data. Sections of the report look at older adults health, work and retirement, income and wealth, and family characteristics and intergenerational transfers. More than 65 figures and tables illustrate the text.

 

Although this publication covers survey research results, it is well written and easy to read. The authors take complication data and simplify it with clear tables and figures that are easy to interpret and understand. This course is an excellent reference for nurses, clinical social workers and health professionals that work with the elderly, as well as those in general practice as aging impacts families and society as a whole.

 

Nurses, social workers, psychologists, mental health counselors, and marriage and family therapists can benefit from this course on aging. This course may also be helpful for dieticians and nutritionists who work with geriatric or elderly clients. This course is appropriate for beginning, intermediate and advanced level practitioners who wish to develop their clinical skills with a geriatric or aging client population.

 

Please note – test questions begin on page 20 with the chapter on Health – although we suggest that you read about how the study was conducted – it is not content that is required for this ce course.

 

Author: National Institute on Aging

 

Learning Objectives: This course will provide the practitioner with detailed information regarding aging. Specifically, a professional will:

· Identify the incidence of significant health events in the aging population.

· Recognize patterns in work and retirement among aging Americans.

· Distinguish social and economic patterns across aging Americans.

 

 

Citation: The National Institute on Aging, A division of the National Institutes of Health. (2007). Growing Older in America: The Health and Retirement Study. NIH Publication No. 07- 5757

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