Regardless of their major, concentration or subsequent career, students at Washington University in St. Louis will experience age-related issues in both their personal and professional lives. Issues in aging span every academic discipline. Policies, products, and services still often focus on 20th century needs, when life expectancy was much lower.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 25% of the population will be age 65 in the next 20 years, or more specifically, the oldest population among us is experiencing the fastest growth. New academic and community approaches will need to reflect the growing diversity in the health and general needs and interests of older adults. This will present a myriad of opportunities and challenges.
To help prepare students for population aging, the Friedman Center is offering course enhancement awards to support the incorporation of aging-relevant topics into new and existing courses at Washington University. Instructor proposals chosen for this program will receive a $250 award that can be used for course materials, guest speakers, field trip expenses, or other resources needed to support the incorporation of aging-relevant material into your course. Consultation from the Friedman Center is also available to help you develop lectures, activities, and assignments, as well as connect to community resources.
Submissions are accepted on a rolling basis. Contact centerforaging@wustl.edu to learn more.
View a list of available resources that can be incorporated into curriculum.
There are a variety of programs, activities and groups across campus that focus on aging and older adults. View a list of all current student groups.
The Institute for Public Health Summer Research Program is open to students who seek challenge, research and experience along with the opportunity to explore and grow academically in a diverse environment.
The eight-week Summer Research Program enables students from any university to develop expertise in the Aging and Neurological Diseases Track.
Aging-related Publications
View the latest publications from our center’s team.
- Problem-based learning is an evidence-based, pedagogical approach that invites students to solve complex, real-life problems using knowledge learned in the classroom. Effective use of problem-based […]
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- The current study investigates older adults' perceptions of ageism in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using tenets of Stereotype Embodiment Theory and the […]
- Older adults experienced the highest rates of infections and deaths and significant social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic. While these negative impacts are important to […]
- The COVID-19 pandemic has brought age bias and the unmet mental health needs of older adults into bold relief. Even before the pandemic, the psychological […]
- Older adults experienced the highest rates of infections and deaths and significant social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic. While these negative impacts are important to […]
- Recent declines in life expectancy in the US, especially for middle-aged White persons, have called attention to mortality from deaths of despair – deaths due […]
- This study explored the experiences of older adult volunteers who pivoted from in-person tutoring to letter writing and online tutoring during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sixty-one […]
- CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Research exploring ED communication with PLWD is sparse and does not directly evaluate specific communication strategies. Defining barriers and facilitators of effective […]
- CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: The scoping review and consensus process identified gaps in clinical care that should be prioritized for research efforts to detect cognitive impairment […]
- CONCLUSION: Analysis results support the good overall psychometric properties of PeRBA among research participants in studies of AD and their family members. Recommendations have been […]
- CONCLUSIONS: the core set of recommendations provided will require flexible implementation strategies that consider both local context and resources.
- CONCLUSIONS: PeRBA can be used by researchers to identify participants who may feel overburdened and tailor approaches and strategies to support participants in longitudinal AD […]
- The mental health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic may be greater than that of the viral infection. This impact is likely greater for disadvantaged groups […]
- Questionnaires are used to assess instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) among individuals with preclinical Alzheimer disease (AD). They have indicated no functional impairment among […]