"Lost World of Elders" Experiential Seminar

12062 Title: Using Small Group Reflective Learning to Teach Components of Elder Care

Accepted Proposal

Alan S. Wolkenstein, MSW

Clinical Professor of Family Medicine

University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public health

Aurora University of Wisconsin Medical Education Group

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Abstract: This workshop provides a forum in which participants a) experience b) discuss and c) use SGRL theory and techniques in the addressing of the problems endemic to elder-care. SGRL, as with any successful teaching strategy, is more than a dynamic process of learning. It is about incorporating all our important skills as teachers and on-going learners. Its presence will give faculty another style to consider employing, as it has done well in this residency for students and residents for many years. We endorse its application both for new faculty who seek a style and process for some of their teaching needs and for the educational needs of our learners, and for seasoned veterans who may wish to enhance their skill set.

Description of the session

Due to societal trends, the older and younger generations may find it increasingly difficult to locate the experiential bridge between them. As a result, the younger generation may find it hard to identify with and care for our elders. This is especially true within graduate education where young learners are challenged to understand this “lost world,” the world in which elders attitudes, beliefs, and values were formed from real life experiences. Indeed, there is not enough mutual exploration between teaching faculty and residents to facilitate a passage into this lost world. Yet to expect that residents can learn to truly understand, empathize, develop rapport, and communicate freely with elders requires new educational experiences not frequently made accessible to learners.

Three objectives for attendees (please limit to 150 words)

After the completion of this seminar, participants will be able to: 1. Construct a faculty-guided SGRL session, which offer, through a short-story case study, a glimpse of the elders lost world of loss-grief experiences. 2. Adapt the characters in the short story into a series of case-based simulated office encounters. 3. Utilize the short story case study and simulated office-encounters in SGRL sessions in order to enhance higher levels of resident awareness in situations in which they may have few real-life experiences

Give a brief outline of how you plan to use your time for your presentation.

Section 1: Background, Reading, and Discussion of Short-Story Case Scenario (40 minutes) Group Introductions (5 minutes). Agenda Review: Explanation of order of workshop and articulation of themes and goals, including terminology of “lost world of our elders.” (5 minutes). Provide participants with story and study guide/questions, time for silent reading (15 minutes). Small group discussion of the specifics of the story and loss-grief patterns (20 minutes).

Section 2: Reading and Analysis of Clinical Encounters (15 minutes).

 Section 3: Presentation of Techniques of SGRL (story scenario/composed case-study/small group sessions). (20 minutes). Section 4: Reflection on application of specific techniques to teaching practice (10 minutes)

Conclusion: Most young and healthy residents and other learners appear to have limited knowledge and experience in understanding, truly understanding, the world in which the values, attitudes, and beliefs of our elders was formed. For most elders, it is these lost world values, attitudes, and beliefs that direct their current ways of looking at and seeking adaptation to their current life’s experiences.

 It is, in fact, a lost world for our elders. As a result, the need to create patient based care is compromised in that providers are limited in finding access to this world. Without it, empathy, compassion, and mindfulness in elder car can be excessively complicated.  An experiential bridge such as utilized in this session will hopefully reduce the distance.

It is through an opportunity to reflect and think about, through the process of “action-reflection” that health care providers of all degrees and experience can enter this lost world in order to better understand, empathize, and provide best care for our elders.

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