Long-Term Care Administration at San Francisco State University.

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19

Administrator Qualifications; Allied Health Occupations Education; Allied Health Personnel; Certification; Curriculum Design; Educational Gerontology; Geriatrics; Gerontology; Graduate Students; Graduate Study; Higher Education; Long Term Care; Masters Degrees

Long-term care administration often involves care for older adults. Yet, in California, neither academic training required for licensure in this area, nor continuing education for maintaining licensure, specify any knowledge of geriatrics or gerontology. A formal standardized approach to academic preparation for licensing would help ensure quality assurance and qualification control. Two recent needs assessment surveys on the development of a master's program in long-term care administration indicated that a need is growing for these administrators. Both survey groups agreed that: (1) a master's level program would appropriately meet the need; (2) a job market exists for such graduates; and (3) any internships required should be between 4 and 6 months. Until recently there were no public universities offering master's level training in long-term care administration on the West Coast. To address this need, San Francisco State University has developed a Master of Arts degree in Gerontology emphasizing Long-Term Care Administration, with a required internship of at least 480 hours. Ideally, gerontology students who have completed the administration courses and the internship will be eligible to take the licensure examination before they graduate. The internships should be of benefit to both graduate students and long-term care facilities. (CC)

1994

ED369005