Gerontology Advising Guide
Gerontology Advising Guide for SS2009 & FS2009
This guide is intended for students pursuing their MSG or Graduate Certificate in Gerontology. MSW students in the Gerontology Concentration may take one or more of these courses based on the rules of the Concentration (ask Dr. Joe Pickard if unsure). Be sure to make an appointment to see Dr. Tom Meuser for advising before registering for courses (meusert@umsl.edu; 314-516-5421).
See MyView (https://apps.umsl.edu/webapps/courseschedules/search_basic.cfm) for specific dates/times that these courses are offered. Choose "Browse" and click on the letter "G" to see all offerings.
Courses in Summer Semester 2009
| 6130 | Interviewing Older Adults & Life Review | 3 credits | Meuser, Tom | Tu/Th 6:00-8:40 |
| 6497 | Interdisciplinary Geriatric Care | 2 credits | King, Denise | Special schedule |
| 6499 | Topics in Gerontology: "Successful Aging in the Built Environment" | 1 credit | Fisher, Kandace | We 4:30-7:00 |
Students may also take the Practicum, Advanced Practicum, and courses to meet the statistics and research requirements during the Summer Semester. Directed study is also a possibility. Remember - All courses may be considered as electives once basic requirements are met!
Advising Note: 6130 and 6499 are elective offerings. 6497 is a joint course with the SLU Summer Geriatric Institute on June 2-3 and meets part of the health and physical aspects of aging requirement. If you take 6497, you may still need one more credit. We will be offering a 1-credit Mechanisms of Aging course in FS2009 that can be added to 6497 (see below).
6499 is anew course involving five class sessions. It promises to be very informative. Kandace Fisher is an architectural design and aging specialist with the UM Extension and will use buildings on our campus as architectural examples. Experience in this area is a plus for many aging-related jobs!
Courses in Fall Semester 2009
| 5440 | Cultural Aspects of Aging | 3 credits | Hurwicz, Margo- Lea |
Mo 5:30-8:00 |
| 5610 | Mechanisms of Aging I: The Aging Body | 1 credit | Hsueh, Grace | Th 4:00-6:40 (5 weeks) |
| 5620 | Dying, Grief & Death in Older Adulthood | 3 credits | Meuser, Tom | Tu 6:55-9:35 |
| 6443 | Health Care Policy | 3 credits | Porterfield, Shirley | We 6:55-9:35 |
| 6460 | Long-Term Care Administration | 3 credits | Etling, Terry | Th 6:55-9:35 |
| 6499 | Special Topics in Gerontology (Late Life Intimacy Workshop Development) - Requires Instructor Permission | 1 credit | Hurwicz, Margo- Lea |
Arr |
| 6499 | Special Topics in Gerontology (Best Practices in Managing Aging Service Programs) - Alzheimer's Association | 1 credit | Nissenboim, Sylvia |
Th 4:00-6:50 |
Students may also take the Practicum, Advanced Practicum, and courses to meet the statistics and research requirements during the Fall semester. Directed study is also a possibility. Remember - All courses may be considered as electives once basic requirements are met!
Advising Note: 5440 meets the Psychosocial Aspects of Aging requirement. 6443 meets the Policy requirement. 5610 involving five class sessions meets part of the Health and Physical Aspects of Aging requirement (and can be combined with 6497 offered in Summer). 5610 and 6460 are electives.
6460 is a special course offered on an every 1.5 year basis. Terry Etling is the Administrator for the LSS Meremac Bluffs Retirement Community and a well-regarded instructor concerning how to manage such a facility. Even if Management is not your main emphasis, this course can still be useful to your professional development and career, especially if you see yourself working in program coordination. She teaches using practical examples and discussion.
Sylvia Nissenboim, MSW, LCSW, received her master’s in social work from Saint Louis University in 1981 and has been managing and developing aging services since 1982. She began her social work career directing the Jewish Community Center's Adult Day Services program. Over the next 18 years, the program was recognized as a national model training professionals throughout the country in center management as well as innovative dementia care programming. She was named a Robert Wood Johnson Partners in Caregiving Mentor, coaching adult day-care directors in center management nationwide.
In 2000 Nissenboim transferred to the American Red Cross administering their three adult day centers, and in 2003 opened a fourth center. In 2005 she was hired by People Resources, a local employee-assistance program, as their clinical director. She has provided training at local, state, and national conferences on a variety of aging topics, from adult day-service management, to dementia-care programming marketing, coaching, and many other topics of relevance.
Nissenboim was appointed to the Missouri Governor's Advisory Council on Aging in 2003, serving as its president from 2004-2006. She is a founding member and past president of the Missouri Adult Day Care Association.