Communication Disorders in Aging
Course Syllabus
Time: Tuesday & Thursday, 5:00 – 7:30
Dates: June
11—July 18, 2002
Location: Room
233, WJSHC
Instructor: Jean K. Gordon, Ph.D.
Contact
Information: jean-k-gordon@uiowa.edu; 335-8729
Office
Hours: Tuesday & Thursday,
2:00 – 4:00 (or by appointment)
Course
Description
As baby boomers approach their “golden years”, the
country’s elderly population is expanding.
Along with the aging of America comes an increased incidence of
communication problems, secondary to both normal aging and to pathological
processes which are associated with aging.
This course will focus on how communication is affected by aging, how
communication disorders are manifest in the aging population, and what the
implications are for the speech-language pathologist.
Course Requirements
Required readings are from: D. Ripich (Ed.), 1991, Handbook of
Geriatric Communication Disorders, Austin, TX: Pro-Ed.
This book is available in the Health Sciences bookstore. There may be additional readings required
later in the course; copies of these will be put on file outside my office for
photocopying. Students will be required
to complete assigned readings before class, in order to participate in
discussion of the topic. A brief summary
of the assigned readings will be due 24 hours before the class (summaries for
10 of the readings are required). Each
student will also be responsible for one class presentation and a paper due at
the end of the course.
Presentation: Choose a case study to review. Outline the issues which need to be addressed
for this case, focussing on those which are most important, and/or unique to
the case. To stimulate discussion, come
up with several provocative questions ahead of time. (Note:
If you prefer, you may do two presentations with a partner.)
Paper: Write a 6-to-10 page paper that addresses a
specific issue in aging and its impact on communication. It may be one of the issues discussed in
class, or something different. Review
your chosen topic and discuss implications for communication, from your own
perspective. Your paper should make
reference to original research (read at least 3 original articles) in order to
illustrate your point. Hand in an
outline of the paper on June 27th for my approval. The final paper will be due on the last day
of class (July 18th).
Evaluation: Case
presentation 25% Grading: 90% –
100% A
Final paper 50% 80% – 89% B
(outline-10%, final-40%) 70% – 79% C
Participation 15% 60% – 69% D
Summaries of readings 10% <
60% F
Class Schedule
Day Presenter(s) Topic/Readings
June 11 J.K.
Gordon Putting the elderly
client in perspective
Ch.
1: Neurobiology
of the aging communication system
June 13 D.
Niebuhr Hearing impairment in
the elderly
Ch.
20: Screening
the elderly for hearing impairment
Case
study: Ida O.
June 18 J.K.
Gordon Language disorders in
the elderly
Ch.
2: Neurolinguistics
and aging
June 20 D.
Moser Determining
competence for providing consent
Ch.
15: Language
and communication in dementia
Case
studies: Jim, Margaret, Joe, Doris
June 25 S.
Anderson The neuropsychology of
dementia
Ch.
17: Memory
influences on language in normal aging
Case
study: Sylvie L. (Michael)
Case
study: Peter H. (Katy)
June 27 **hand
in outlines for papers**
W.
Gronbeck End-of-life issues
Chapter
from Dying Well (Ira Byock)
H. Sharp Ethical issues
July 2 B.
Kaskie Health policy for
older adults
Fisher
(1988). Who’s who in aging: An
introduction to federal and state agencies providing services and/or funding,
In B. Shadden (Ed.) Communication
behavior and Aging: A sourcebook for
clinicians
R. Wallace Epidemiology of aging
Ch.
5: Social
aspects of aging and communication
Case
study: Mary A. (Jill)
July 4 no
class Video
(on reserve at Hardin)
July 9 K.
Buckwalter Behavioural deficits in
dementia
Ch.
6: Mental
health and aging
Case
study: John D. (Jennifer)
Case
study: Jacob S. (Shanna)
July
11 M. Kelly Pharmocological issues
Brandell
et al. (1988). Pharmacology and the aging system, In B. Shadden (Ed.) Communication behavior and Aging: A sourcebook for clinicians
Case
study: Bob W. (Vanessa)
Case
study: Emma T. (Juliet)
July 16 J.
Galluzzo Occupational therapy
and the older adult
Shadden
& Barr (1988). Networking strategies for enhancing interdisciplinary
service provision, In B. Shadden (Ed.)
Communication behavior and Aging:
A sourcebook for clinicians
Case
study: Ruth S. (Janna)
Case
study: Winnifred S. (Anna)
July
18 **papers
due**
J.K. Gordon Wrap-up
D. Niebuhr left-over case studies?
Students’ Rights and Responsibilities
All students in the College have specific rights
and responsibilities. You have the right to adjudication of any complaints you
have about classroom activities of instructor actions. Information on these
procedures is available in the Schedule of Courses and on on-line in the
College's Student Academic Handbook (http://www.clas.uiowa.edu/students
/academic_handbook/). You also have the right to expect a classroom environment
that enables you to learn, including modifications if you have a disability.
Special Accommodations
I would like to hear from anyone who has a
disability which may require some modification of seating, testing, or other
class requirements so that appropriate arrangements may be made. Please see me
after class or during my office hours.
Attendance Policy
Your responsibilities to this class—and to your
education as a whole—include attendance and participation. If you are absent for a class, you are
responsible for obtaining notes.
Although no portion of your grade is allocated directly to attendance,
your participation grade may be affected by excessive absenteeism.
Workload Guidelines
For each semester hour
credit in the course, students should expect to spend two hours per week
preparing for class sessions (e.g., in a three-credit-hour course, standard
out-of-class preparation is six hours per week).
Plagiarism Policy
You are also expected to be honest and honorable in
your fulfillment of assignments and in test-taking situations (the College's
policy on plagiarism and cheating is on-line in the College's Student Academic
Handbook).