As the number of older adults increases, it is imperative that gerontological competencies are imbedded in health and social service education reviews of Canadian published and grey literature presents trends, barriers, and enablers of sustained movement toward graduating professionals with gerontology competencies. Overall, gerontological education remains insufficient. Main barriers include resources for faculty and teaching. This review also identified discipline-specific competency frameworks that could inform curriculum enhancement and education accreditations; however, most educators were unaware of these. Further limiting workforce development is the lack of gerontology competency statements within regulatory documents. This review concludes with recommendations for federal and provincial policies to establish educational accreditation programs in geriatrics, develop core competencies, and integrate these into regulatory frameworks. Failure to do so will continue the trend of insufficient preparation of health and social service professionals to care for older adults.

This study investigated the state of gerontology content in health and social service education programs in Ontario, and readiness indicators for change among administrators and faculty. We conducted a survey of teaching faculty (n = 100) and deans or directors (n = 56) of 89 education programs, which revealed mixed evidence on readiness for change. Most respondents thought their programs were adequate but needed enhancement. However, they were unaware of published gerontological competencies with which to evaluate their curricula. Beliefs about capacity for change varied, with half the participants indicating that their programs had sufficient faculty expertise in gerontology and geriatrics. Factors influencing readiness for change include lack of gerontological expertise; need for institutional and management support; need for additional teaching resources; and recognizing the need for change. There is an opportunity, by committing resources and time, to capitalize on the faculty and administrators who thought their programs should improve.

RÉSUMÉLes moniteurs de groupes d’activité physique sont considérés comme un déterminant social important associé au plaisir de faire de l’exercice, à l’assiduité et à l’adhésion à une activité. Ces moniteurs influent également sur le niveau d’inclusion sociale qui imprègne les cultures physiques. En vue de clarifier le rôle que jouent les moniteurs dans l’atteinte de ces résultats, nous avons effectué un examen de la portée. L’examen de la portée est une méthode qui permet l’évaluation préliminaire de l’ampleur et de la profondeur de la documentation existante afin de cerner les thèmes clés et les lacunes des écrits sélectionnés. Le cadre de référence d’Arksey et O’Malley (2005) a été utilisé. Un moteur de recherche universitaire nous a permis d’effectuer des recherches simultanées dans plusieurs bases de données. Ce procédé a permis de trouver 52 articles et chapitres de livres, dont 33 ciblaient spécifiquement les personnes âgées. Nous avons dressé la carte conceptuelle des écrits, qui ont révélé les rôles essentiels des moniteurs en tant que : 1) constructeurs de la cohésion sociale du groupe, 2) intermédiaires culturels, 3) praticiens compétents, 4) leaders et communicateurs et 5) éducateurs. Parmi ces rôles, l’aspect éducatif est celui qui a reçu le moins d’attention sur le plan empirique. Les implications pour la recherche, la pratique et les politiques futures sont exposées en conclusion.

Leisure engagement is linked to well-being and social integration, which is particularly important for older adults, who are particularly at risk for social isolation. This aim of this study was to examine the meanings and importance of leisure across the life course. We conducted life history interviews with twenty-six older adults who participated in (primarily) library-based writing programs in Southern Ontario, Canada. We employed narrative inquiry to investigate the processes and outcomes of writing ABOUT leisure. Herein, we highlight the results of one theme from our findings: 'writing AS leisure.' Two sub-themes emerged: 'writing as purposeful leisure: relationship building and social capital' and 'being written out of the story: writing and isolation.' Findings speak to how participants rationalized and justified their involvement in various forms of leisure, and the resultant types and qualities of the social relationships that were enabled and/or inhibited by engagement therein.