Overview

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

This course includes an examination of the development of contemporary understanding and practice of health promotion. Students will be given the opportunity to explore theories and models designed to explain health related behaviors and the determinants of health. Strategies for behavioral change and development of socio-environmental approaches will be discussed in the context of an aging Canadian population.

COURSE DETAILS:

The aim of this course is to provide students with an understanding of conceptual, theoretical and substantive topics on health promotion for older adults.

We will explore a number of topics, including descriptive profiles of population aging; conceptual and theoretical developments; building health public policy for older adults; creating and fostering supportive environments in areas such as age-friendly communities, housing, technology, reduction of social isolation, and mistreatment of older people; strengthening community action targeting vulnerable groups (e.g., Indigenous, LGBTQ, immigrant older populations); developing personal skills via resiliency, health literacy, healthy eating and physical activity; reorienting and reforming heal and community services; and the role of the COVID-19 pandemic on health promotion and aging.

Students will learn the fundamentals of a broad range of health promotion and aging theories, programs, and policies applied to a number of focused areas affecting the lives and well-being of older people.  Critical perspectives will be applied to disentangle the health, socio-political and related contexts in which health promotion occurs.  

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

On completion of GERO 302, students will be able to:

1. Understand the strengths and weakness of major conceptual and theoretical approaches to health promotion and aging.
2. Develop knowledge from multiple disciplines to focus on healthy aging from the physical, social, mental, and environmental spheres, as well as their intersection.
3. Understand the ways in which structural and systemic inequality affects healthy aging, and the role that empowerment and agency play in shaping innovative approaches, programs and policies to support health promotion at the individual, family, community and regional level.
4. Critically analyze application of health promotion to vulnerable and marginalized older populations.
5. Understand how the COVID-19 pandemic has identified major areas in need of reform and improvement.

Grading

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

REQUIRED READING NOTES: