Program Overview

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Program Overview

The program in question is "Aging and Age-Related Disorders from a Biological, Epidemiological and Clinical Perspective," which is a 15-credit course.

Course Description

This course aims to equip students with a comprehensive understanding of the characteristics of health and care needs in older adults, covering various topics related to geriatric syndromes, life course determinants of healthy aging, and geriatric health and social care.

Objectives

The overall objective of the course is to provide students with a deep understanding of the complexities of health in older adults, enabling them to contribute to the development of knowledge and effective care practices for the aging population. Specifically, students will be able to:

• Assess the causes of negative consequences of multimorbidity and polypharmacy for patients, caregivers, and healthcare systems, as well as opportunities for prevention.
• Discuss challenges and opportunities in dementia research, such as the clinical definition of cognitive impairment and the use of biomarkers.
• Evaluate the consequences of methods used in epidemiological studies to define and manage frailty, sarcopenia, and measures of physical function in older adults.
• Evaluate evidence from epidemiological studies on the life cycle of aging, with a particular focus on the interacting effects of biological, psychological, and social factors and their inequalities over time and space.
• Discuss the challenges associated with current healthcare and social care organizations and their ability to meet the health needs of older adults.

Course Content

The course consists of three modules:

Health Challenges and Geriatric Syndromes in Older Adults, 4.0 hp

This module covers various topics, including chronic diseases, multimorbidity, and polypharmacy; cognitive function and dementia; and frailty, sarcopenia, and physical function.

Life Course Factors for Healthy Aging and Geriatric Health and Social Care, 3.5 hp

This module covers life course determinants of health, aging, and resilience, as well as medical and social geriatric care.

In-Depth Project, 7.5 hp

This module involves writing and presenting an in-depth project.

Teaching Methods

The course content is based on the latest research in the field, followed by activities where students are asked to critically reflect on their work and professional role. The teaching consists of a combination of campus meetings and online teaching, in the form of lectures, interactive group discussions, and interactive seminars.

Examination

The course is examined through group work (formative assessments) and individual written examination (summative assessment).

• The modules "Health Challenges and Geriatric Syndromes in Older Adults" and "Life Course Factors for Healthy Aging and Geriatric Health and Social Care" are examined through individual written tests related to the topics covered in each module.
• The "In-Depth Project" module is examined through a written in-depth assignment that is also presented orally.

Active participation in group discussions and peer review of fellow students' course assignments is mandatory.

Additional Regulations

The examiner determines whether absence from compulsory educational components can be compensated for. Before the student has participated in the compulsory educational components or compensated for absence in accordance with the examiner's instructions, the study results cannot be reported. Absence from a compulsory educational component may mean that the student cannot compensate for the missed opportunity until the next time the course is given.

For late-submitted examination assignments, no consideration is taken. Students who have not submitted on time are referred to the re-examination opportunity. The examiner assesses whether a student has special reasons for the delay.

A student who is not approved after the regular examination opportunity has the right to participate in up to five additional examination opportunities. This does not apply if the course has ceased or undergone significant changes. A student who lacks approved results after three completed examination opportunities may be offered to retake the course or parts of it once more.

If there are special reasons or a need for adaptation for a student with a disability, the examiner may decide to deviate from the course plan's provisions regarding the examination form, number of examination opportunities, possibility of complementing, or exemption from compulsory educational components. The content and learning objectives, as well as the level of expected skills, knowledge, and abilities, may not be changed, removed, or lowered.

Language of Instruction

The language of instruction is English.

Course Evaluation

Course evaluation is carried out according to the guidelines established by the Committee for Education at the Basic and Advanced Levels at Karolinska Institutet.

The course may not be credited in an examination at the same time as a completed and approved course whose content entirely or partially coincides with the content of the course.

Literature and Other Teaching Materials

Recommended Literature

Scientific articles and reports.

• Barnett K, Mercer SSW, Norbury M, Watt G, Wyke. Epidemiology of multimorbidity and implications for health care, research, and medical education: a cross-sectional study
• Clegg A, et al. Frailty in elderly people
• Solomon A, et al. Advances in the prevention of Alzheimer's disease and dementia
• Chatterji S, Byles J, Cutler D, et al. Health, functioning, and disability in older adults - Present status and future implications
• Olde Rikkert MGM, Melis RJF, Cohen AA, Geeske P. Why illness is more important than disease in old age
• Kingston A, Wohland P, Wittenberg R, et al. Is late-life dependency increasing or not? A comparison of the Cognitive Function and Ageing Studies
• Ferraro KF, Shippee TP. Aging and Cumulative Inequality: How Does Inequality Get Under the Skin?
• Hendry, Anne; et al. ADVANTAGE Joint Action (JA) key components of an integrated approach to prevent and manage frailty
• Araujo de Carvallo, Islene; et al. Organizing integrated health-care services to meet older people's needs
• Barboza Solís, Cristina; et al. Adverse childhood experiences and physiological wear-and-tear in midlife: Findings from the 1958 British birth cohort
• Bennett, Kate M. Emotional and personal resilience through life. Future of an ageing population: evidence review
• Ben-Shlomo, Yoav; et al. Life Course Epidemiology
• Ben-Shlomo, Yoav; et al. The last two decades of life course epidemiology, and its relevance for research on ageing
• Colón-Emeric, Cathleen; et al. Two Approaches to Classifying and Quantifying Physical Resilience in Longitudinal Data
• Cosco, TD; et al. Healthy ageing, resilience and wellbeing
• Cruz-Jentoft, AJ; et al. Sarcopenia
• Cruz-Jentoft, AJ; et al. Sarcopenia: revised European consensus on definition and diagnosis
• 2021 Long-Term Care in the EU. Trends, challenges and opportunities in an ageing society
• Fabbri, Elisa; et al. Aging and Multimorbidity: New Tasks, Priorities, and Frontiers for Integrated Gerontological and Clinical Research
• Fratiglioni, Laura; et al. Ageing without dementia: can stimulating psychosocial and lifestyle experiences make a difference?
• Fried, LP; et al. Frailty in older adults: evidence for a phenotype
• Garattini, Livio; et al. Integrated care: easy in theory, harder in practice?
• Goddard, Maria; et al. Integrated Care: A Pill for All Ills?
• Guralnik, JM; et al. A short physical performance battery assessing lower extremity function: association with self-reported disability and prediction of mortality and nursing home admission
• Calderón-Larrañaga, Amaia; et al. International Symposium: Multimorbidity research at the crossroads: developing the scientific evidence for clinical practice and health policy
• Kodner, DL; et al. Integrated care: meaning, logic, applications, and implications – a discussion paper
• Marengoni A, et al. Aging with multimorbidity: a systematic review of the literature
• McCormack, B; et al. Person-Centred Healthcare Research
• Multimorbidity: clinical assessment and management. NICE guideline (NG56). Baseline assessment tool
• Multimorbidity: clinical assessment and management. NICE guideline (NG56). Database of treatment effects.
• Patient-Centred Innovations for Persons with Multimorbidity (PACE in MM)
• Rydberg Sterner, T; et al. Depression and neuroticism decrease among women but not among men between 1976 and 2016 in Swedish septuagenarians
• Shaw, Sara; et al. What is integrated care ? An overview of integrated care in the NHS
• Studenski, Stephanie; et al. Gait speed and survival in older adults
• Thompson, CM. Why Is It Difficult for Social Network Members to Support People Living with Mental Illnesses?: Linking Mental Illness Uncertainty to Support Provision
• WHO ICOPE guidance for person-centered assessment and pathways
• WHO ICOPE integrated care implementation guidance for systems and services
• Wilson, Daisy; et al. Frailty and sarcopenia: The potential role of an aged immune system
• WHO ICOPE integrated People-Centred Care