Page 48 - IJPS-8-1

International Journal of
Population Studies Gerontology education in Malta

and administration of social and related services in located it, and that Malta’s programs tick all the boxes as
community and residential care. The Master of Arts in far as classroom lectures, practice placements and research
Ageing and Dementia Studies reflected the urgent need dissertations are concerned. While other programs
for a trained workforce in dementia care. The objective of tend to miss on either practice placements or research
the degree was to reinforce and mature the understanding, dissertations as is the case in Mexico, or even both as is the
skills, competencies, and attitudes of students working case in Scotland, some programs also focus more deeply
between the interface of ageing and dementia. The on issues that are of a major interest in the region such
Master of Ageing and Dementia Studies was planned and as gerontology accreditation in North America, assistive
developed to provide students with an in-depth, research- technology in Asia, and informal care in Europe.
based knowledge of dementia, including theory, innovative In March 2019, the department experienced another
and best practices, and policy issues, as well as a grounding name change, from “Department of Gerontology” to the
in academic and research skills. Thus, promising to act as “Department of Gerontology and Dementia Studies” so
a catalyst for candidates’ professional development with as to reflect the additional focus of dementia studies in
meeting the needs of both present and incoming cohorts its vision and objectives. Figure 1 illustrates a timeline
of older persons with dementia. The program of study was highlighting the major changes/additions, name changes,
as follows: degree offerings, and historical moments in Malta’s travails
Study-Units. Eleven study units of five ECTS requiring in gerontology education. Indeed, while in 2016, the
28 and 70 h of lecturing and study hours, respectively. government tasked the department to plan, coordinate,
Study-units included: Social policies, programs and and implement a 14-h training program to all nurses in the
services in the field of ageing; clinical conditions and public sector and working with older persons, one resident
health-care services in geriatrics medicine; ageing: academic collaborates with the university to organize
Psychological and psychogeriatric issues; social biannual training programs on dementia care for informal
interactions in later life; pharmacological issues in caregivers.
later life; and gerontology: Multidisciplinary and
interdisciplinary approaches. 3. Possibilities and challenges of
Practice placements. Participants are required to have gerontology education in malta
an internship of 240 h divided into four practicums of
60 h each. (5 ECTS). The Department of Gerontology and Dementia Studies
Dissertation. Dissertation on an approved area of survived and even thrived in a period where many
study chosen in consultation with a supervisor (25,000 gerontological department and graduate programs closed
words). (30 ECTS). down. A case in point is the European Master’s Program
in Gerontology which was disbanded by VU-University
University of Malta, n.d. Amsterdam in 2010 due to the fact that getting the
Admission criteria included the same qualifications program accredited was a costly exercise, especially in the
require for entry in the Master of Gerontology and context of the then worldwide financial crisis (Aartsen,
Geriatrics except the proviso where a professional 2011). Following Hertz et al.’s (2007) typology, the focus
qualification in one of the caring professions, together with of the Department of Gerontology and Dementia Studies
at least 5 years’ experience, is deemed to be comparable is mainly in the education of undergraduate and graduate
to the level of a first degree which was dropped. The students, and continuing education for both aspiring and
Master Degree of Ageing and Dementia Studies makes a working professionals, in gerontology, geriatrics, and
valuable contribution to the development of dementia care dementia care. While its function is to ensure that all tiers
knowledge, research, and practice is designed in a way in Malta’s workforce are trained in these areas, its unique
to promote collaboration between disciplines of nursing, tripartite specialties include policy making, gerontology
medicine, occupational therapy, social work, and other services, and dementia care. The Maltese situation is
professionals working with persons living with dementia thus more similar to the United States context than the
and their families/significant others. Table 1 provides a European one considering the range of more specialized
summary of admissions requirements and study programs degrees and certificate programs in ageing studies.
for each degree. Returning back to Askham et al. (2007) predictions,
A comparative analysis of Malta’s gerontology education it suffices to state that while the department included
to what is available in other countries finds that programs only six students in 2007, this figure reached 51 in 2020.
tend to focus substantially on demographic trends and Alumni statistics show that the period October 1990–April
policy frameworks of the geographical context they are 2022 hosted as much as 224 Maltese and 132 international

Volume 8 Issue 1 (2022) 42 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.v8i1.1311