Aging and Age-Related Disorders from a Biological, Epidemiological and Clinical Perspective

Description of this course

About the course


The demographic transition toward an older population over the past half-century poses major societal challenges in Sweden and globally. Sweden has one of the highest proportions of older people in the world. Approximately one-fifth of the population is over 65, and the fastest-growing segment is those aged 85 and older. Although we now live longer and healthier lives, an ageing population leads to more people with chronic conditions and functional dependence. This has a great impact on families and societies.

Understanding social, biomedical and behavioural factors, and discovering how they are connected to older adults’ health, is highly important when we strive to compress disability and morbidity into a short period toward the end of life. Such compression is crucial both for individuals and for reducing the economic and societal burden of late-life disability and morbidity.

This course provides theoretical and methodological knowledge on ageing, from a biological to a societal level. You will also gain insight into the complexity and heterogeneity of health in old age. The course prepares you for clinical and social work, as well as health promotion, management and policy for health in old age in a wide range of contexts, including medical to higher education and academic settings.

Aging and Age-Related Disorders from a Biological, Epidemiological and Clinical Perspective

Åldrande och åldersrelaterad sjuklighet ur ett biologiskt, epidemiologiskt och kliniskt perspektiv

Essential data

Course code: 2QA343
Course name: Aging and Age-Related Disorders from a Biological, Epidemiological and Clinical Perspective
Credits: 15
Form of Education: Higher education, study regulation of 2007
Main field of study: Not applicable
Level: Second cycle, in-depth level of the course cannot be classified
Grading scale: Fail (U) or pass (G)
Department: Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society
Decided by: Education committee NVS
Decision date: 2022-12-13
Revised by: Utbildningsnämnden NVS
Last revised: 2023-09-06
Course syllabus valid from: Spring semester 2024

Specific entry requirements

A Bachelor's degree or a professional degree equivalent to a Swedish Bachelor's degree of at least 180 credits in health care or medicine. Alternatively, a degree in social work. And proficiency in English equivalent to English B/English 6.

Outcomes

The overall objective of this course is to equip students with a comprehensive understanding of the particularities of health and care needs in old age, encompassing diverse topics related to geriatric syndromes, life-course determinants of healthy aging, and geriatric health and social care. By exploring these areas, students will develop critical thinking skills, apply research methodologies, and gain a deep appreciation of the complexities of health in older age, enabling the advancement of knowledge and effective care practices for the aging population.

Specifically, upon completion of the course, the student should independently be able to:

  • assess the consequences of multimorbidity and polypharmacy for patients, care providers and healthcare systems, and the opportunities for the primary-to-quaternary prevention of multimorbidity
  • discuss the challenges and opportunities within the field of dementia research, e.g. clinical definition of cognitive disorders, use of biomarkers
  • appraise the implications of different methodologies employed in epidemiological studies to define and operationalize frailty, sarcopenia and measures of physical functioning in older adults
  • evaluate the evidence from life course studies on aging, with particular emphasis on interacting effects of biological, psychological, and social factors, and their inequalities across time, space, and historical contexts
  • discuss the challenges linked to the current organization of health and social care, and the extent to which it is able to respond to older people's health needs

Content

The course consists of three parts.

Health challenges and geriatric syndromes in the elderly, 4.0 credits


Grading scale: GU
Covers various topics, including chronic diseases, multimorbidity and polypharmacy (Topic 1); Cognitive function and Dementia (Topic 2); Frailty, sarcopenia and physical function (Topic 3).

Life-course determinants of healthy aging, and social geriatric care, 3.5 credits


Grading scale: GU
Covers the topic of Life-course determinants of health, aging, and resilience (Topic 4) and Medical and social geriatric care (Topic 5).

Advanced project, 7.5 credits


Grading scale: GU
Consists of writing and presenting an advaced project.

Teaching methods

The content of the course is based on recent research findings in the field, followed by different activities where students are asked to critically reflect in relation to their work/professional role. The learning activities consist of a blended learning approach with campus meetings mixed with online teaching in the form of lectures, interactive group discussions, and interactive seminars.

Examination

The course is examined through group assignments (formative assessment) and individual written examination (summative assessment).

  • Part Health challenges and geriatric syndrome in elderly (4 hp) and Life-course determinants of healthy aging and social geriatric care (3,5 hp) are examined by individual written test related to the subject areas.
  • Part Advanced project (7,5 hp) is examined by writing and presenting an advanced project.

In addition, active participation in the group discussions and peer review of other students' assignments are mandatory.

The examiner decides whether, and if so how, absence from or failure to complete compulsory course elements can be made up. Study results cannot be reported until the student has participated in or completed compulsory course elements or compensated for any absence in accordance with instructions from the examiner. Absence from, or failure to complete a compulsory course element could mean that the student cannot retake the element until the next time the course is offered.

Late examinations will not be considered. Students who do not submit their assignment on time are referred to the re- examination. The examiner will decide whether a student has special reasons for the delay.

Students who have not passed the regular examination are entitled to participate in five more examinations. This does not apply when the course has been discontinued or undergone major changes. Students who do not pass the examination after three completed examinations can be offered to retake parts or the entire course one more time. This option will be subject to course availability.

If there are special reasons, or a need for adaptation for students with disabilities, the examiner may decide to deviate from the syllabus' regulations in terms of examination form, number of examinations, possibility of supplementation or exemption from compulsory educational elements, etc. Content and learning outcomes as well as the level of expected skills, knowledge and abilities must not be changed, removed or lowered.

Other directives

Language: English

Course evaluation is carried out according to the guidelines that are established by the Committee for Higher Education, at Karolinska Institutet.

The course may not be credited in a degree together with another course the student has completed and passed the contents of which completely or partly correspond to the contents of this course.

Literature and other teaching aids

Scientific publications and reports.