Ageism First Aid

Ageism First Aid is an online multi-module course designed to help change the common negative misconceptions and myths about aging by replacing them with facts that should be common knowledge. The course will support factual conversations about aging and spark widespread use of positive aging-related language among people in the health and helping professions.

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.

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.

Registration

• GSA Member Registration
• GSA Non-Member Registration

Cost

Members: $20 

Non-Members: $30

Members will need their GSA Member Number to register. Here is how to access your member number:

• Click the white “Login” button on the top right corner of the home page.
• Enter your GSA username and password.
• If you have forgotten your password, select “Forgot your password”.
• Once logged in, click the white “My Account” button on the top right corner of the home page.
• Click “My GSA Dashboard" from the black pop-up box.
• Under “My Account” select “Print Membership Card”.
• A new window will appear containing your card with member number.

To Access Ageism First Aid Module:

• Enter your member number as User Name.
• Select "Forgot Password".
• You will receive an email that will direct you to reset your password and access the module. 

AFA Acknowledgment Statement

The Ageism First Aid (AFA) project was initially funded by a grant from the Retirement Research Foundation through the Academy for Gerontology in Higher Education (AGHE) Founders Innovation Fund and the AGHE Founders 3.0: Special Projects Initiative. AGHE is the Gerontological Society of America’s (GSA) educational branch. All three organizations are dedicated reducing ageism and aging stigma and improving the quality of life and overall well-being of older Americans.

The AFA course copyright is held by The Gerontological Society of America.

The AFA project was sponsored by the AGHE Academic Program Development Committee and is a product of collaboration among AGHE member faculty. Special thanks go out to all the contributors, including Laurinda Reynolds, Tina Kruger Newsham, Joann Montepare, and Becky Knight, and the reviewers Janet Frank, Marilyn Gugliucci, and Carrie Andreoletti.

Technical Support

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