Learning Center

Ageism First Aid

Ageism First Aid

  • Register
    • Non-Member - $39
    • Comp Member - $39
    • Emeritus Member - $39
    • Regular Member - $39
    • Retired Member - $39
    • Spouse Member - $39
    • GSA Staff - $39
    • Transitional Member - $39
    • Graduate Student/Post-Doc Member - $39
    • Undergraduate Student Member - $19.50

    Continue

Whether you are taking this online course as a requirement for employment, licensure or certification, professional development or continuing education, or as a prerequisite to a college or university course, Ageism First Aid will help change how you think and feel about older people and aging. It will also help improve your communication with and about older people, which will help improve the quality of life of older people where you live, work, and study.  Ageism First Aid is a three-module course designed to prepare you for work in the field of aging and to provide professional development for those of you already working in the field.  This course is intended for teenagers and adults of all ages and all educational and language backgrounds.

What You Will Learn:

As a person already working in the field of aging, the information that you learn will help to unify your affirmative approach to talking about aging, advance your efforts to combat ageism, and—over time—have a positive effect on older adults.

By taking this course, you will:

  • Understand what ageism is, how it develops during childhood and throughout adulthood, how ageism affects people of all ages, and how to avoid participating in ageism.
  • Provide you knowledge to interact more skillfully and effectively with older adults and it will help protect you against the negative influence of ageism.
  • Communicate more effectively with people of all ages and diverse backgrounds.
  • Help you become a more skilled and successful communicator in your professional and personal life and will enhance your professional credentials.
Course Format:

Ageism First Aid contains three modules:

  • Module One is Foundation Knowledge. The first step in Ageism First Aid is to provide you with facts about older adults and the aging process. These facts will help replace ideas you may have about older adults that are based on misinformation about aging.
  • Module Two is Ageism Explained. The second step in Ageism First Aid is to help you understand how we learn and develop ageism from early childhood through adulthood and to introduce you to the concept of ageism awareness. Ageism awareness will help you avoid ageism and protect you against the effects of ageism as you grow older.
  • Module Three is Respectful, Effective, and Appropriate Communication Training. The third step in Ageism First Aid is to provide you with basic communication training as well as some specialized training for how to interact with older adults. The training will help you become a more effective communicator with your family, in your community, and at work.
System Requirements:

This course is best viewed using Google Chrome, but will work with other active up-to-date browsers. Internet Explorer should not be used. When viewing this course, each module and its subsequent sections will launch in a pop-up window. Please ensure your pop-up blockers are disabled to view the course content.

Accessibility:

This course is best viewed using Google Chrome and will work with screen reader software and keyboard navigation. 

Completion Certificate:

After completing this introductory course and receiving a score of at least 75%, you will be able to save your completion certificate as a PDF and/or print your certificate. The certificate is valid for 3 years. Be sure to make note of this course completion on your resume or CV.

Course Duration and Availability:

If you wish to complete the course in one sitting, it will take about 2 hours, depending on how fast you read and respond to the questions. 

You have 30 days to finish the course (and print/save your completion certificate,) starting from the day that you register for the course. If you do not finish within 30 days, your enrollment will end automatically, and it will be necessary to enroll and pay the course fee again.

Gerontological Society of America gratefully recognizes all those who contributed to the Ageism First Aid certificate course.
Developed and written by:
  • Laurinda Reynolds, M.A.
  • Tina Kruger-Newsham, Ph.D.
  • Joann Montepare, Ph.D.
  • Rebekah Knight, Ph.D.

The course was a project of the Academy for Gerontology in Higher Education, Academic Program Development Committee.

Key:

Complete
Failed
Available
Locked
Privacy Acknowledgement
Agree to terms to continue.
Agree to terms to continue.
You must register to access.
Ageism First Aid Pre-test
15 Questions  |  1 attempt  |  0/15 points to pass
15 Questions  |  1 attempt  |  0/15 points to pass You are almost ready to begin the course. Before you get started, we want to find out a little about what you already believe about programs for older adults, older people, the aging process, and ageism. You will be asked 15 questions, most of which are in true-or-false format. You are not expected to know all the correct answers. If you are not sure about an answer, make your best guess based on what you have observed or heard in the news, in movies, on TV, or from friends and family. The answers to these questions will not count toward your course score.
You must register to access.
Module 1: Foundation Knowledge
Foundation Knowledge: Introduction to Aging
Begin self-paced component package.
Begin self-paced component package. In this first topic of the Foundation Knowledge module of Ageism First Aid, we will define Aging as a process of physical change and take a look at the aging population of the United States.
You must register to access.
Foundation Knowledge: Work and Study in the Field of Aging
Begin self-paced component package.
Begin self-paced component package. By the year 2060, the older population of the U.S. will more than double. This section will look at the kinds of work that is available in the field of aging, both for clinical and non-clinical roles.
You must register to access.
Foundation Knowledge: The Aging Process
Begin self-paced component package.
Begin self-paced component package. In this section, we will examine the unique process of Aging, as well as conditions that have become, inaccurately, synonymous with Aging.
You must register to access.
Foundation Knowledge: Myths About Aging
Begin self-paced component package.
Begin self-paced component package. In this section, we will examine the most persistent myths about Aging, namely those about memory loss, dementia and hearing loss, and why people continue to believe them, contrasted with the facts about these conditions.
You must register to access.
Module 2: Ageism Explained
Ageism Explained: Ageism in the United States
Begin self-paced component package.
Begin self-paced component package. This section explores Ageism in the United States- how it has developed, and its impact on American society.
You must register to access.
Ageism Explained: How We Learn and Develop Ageism
Begin self-paced component package.
Begin self-paced component package. Ageism is a product of negative, fear-provoking, and false messages about aging. In this section, we will explore how and when this negative messaging begins, and from where these messages originate.
You must register to access.
Ageism Explained: How Language and Words Contribute to Ageism
Begin self-paced component package.
Begin self-paced component package. In this section, we will look at how language and vocabularly around aging, and the associations we make can strengthen negative stereotypes every time we use or hear that language.
You must register to access.
Ageism Explained: Developing Ageism Awareness
Begin self-paced component package.
Begin self-paced component package. This section will introduce the practice of ageism awareness and its importance in counteracting the negative messaging that persists around aging.
You must register to access.
Ageism Explained: Ageism, Elder Abuse, and Mandatory Reporting
Begin self-paced component package.
Begin self-paced component package. In this section, we will examine how this negative messaging and reinforcement of ageist stereotypes can have serious consequences, in particular the mistreatment and neglect of older people.
You must register to access.
Module 3: Respectful, Effective, & Appropriate Communication Training
Respectful, Effective, & Appropriate Communication Training: Basic Communication Training
Begin self-paced component package.
Begin self-paced component package. In this first topic of the Respectful, Effective and Appropriate Communication Training Module, you will learn how you can avoid ageism during interactions with older people.
You must register to access.
Respectful, Effective, & Appropriate Communication Training: Respectful Person-Centered Approach
Begin self-paced component package.
Begin self-paced component package. In this section, we will explore using a person-centered approach with older clients to address their specific needs and avoid ageist generalizations.
You must register to access.
Respectful, Effective, & Appropriate Communication Training: Person-Setting-Situation Approach
Begin self-paced component package.
Begin self-paced component package. In this section, we will look at the Person-Setting-Situation Approach as an effective way to communicate with clients.
You must register to access.
Respectful, Effective, & Appropriate Communication Training: Appropriate Ageism-Free Language
Begin self-paced component package.
Begin self-paced component package. Ageism-free language does not use words or phrases that trigger negative images and feelings about aging. This section will demonstrate how to use ageism-free language, requiring us to think about and choose the words we use more carefully.
You must register to access.
Respectful, Effective, & Appropriate Communication Training: Basic Charting & Reporting Guidelines
Begin self-paced component package.
Begin self-paced component package. In this section, we will review the importance of accurate charting and reporting of a patient's/client's/resident's behavior or symptoms.
You must register to access.
Post Learning Activities
Post-learning Aging Beliefs
10 Questions  |  2 attempts  |  8/10 points to pass
10 Questions  |  2 attempts  |  8/10 points to pass We need to find out whether what you believe about growing older and aging has changed after taking the course. You will be asked 10 multiple-choice questions similar to the 15 questions that you answered before starting the course. Take your time and think about the answers. If you are not sure about an answer, reread the question aloud, read each answer option carefully, and use the process of elimination to rule out the wrong answers. Then select the answer that you did not rule out.
You must register to access.
Print or Save Your Certificate of Completion
No credits available  |  Certificate available
No credits available  |  Certificate available If you scored at least a 75% on the course, you can now print and/or save your certificate of completion. The certificate is valid for 3 years. To include graphics and color on your certificate, be sure to select "Background Graphics" under the "More settings" option when printing or saving your certificate. Thank you for completing the Ageism First Aid Course!
You must register to access.
Complete the Ageism First Aid Survey
19 Questions
19 Questions We value your opinion and want to know what you think of this course! This short survey will take fewer than 5 minutes to complete, and your responses will help us understand how to improve the Ageism First Aid course. Thank you in advance for your feedback!
You must register to access.