Page 51 - IJPS-8-1

International Journal of
Population Studies Gerontology education in Malta

Parliamentary Secretariat for Rights of Persons groups,” and shedding “light on the intracultural variations,
with Disability and Active Ageing, 2015a, p. 71 including both differences and similarities, among people
Indeed, it is valuable that public entities, non- in the same culture” (Tam, 2014, p. 889). Unfortunately,
governmental organizations and private companies despite a sharp focus on the political economy of ageing,
engaged in ageing welfare trust that the provision of such feminist gerontology, and gay and lesbian ageing, a cross-
policies and standards cannot be rightfully attained in the cultural component is not a strong point in the department’s
curricula. A second failing refers to the fact that no full-
absence of a learned and trained workforce. On the other time faculty member at the Department of Gerontology
hand, faculty members were instrumental in advising the and Dementia Studies is a geriatrician, and that such faculty
government in the conceptualization, organization, and members all work on a visiting basis (Formosa and Galea,
long-term implementation of program initiatives such as 2020). Despite the fact that the Maltese population is ageing
the Dementia Helpline, the University of the Fourth Age, rapidly, there has been a slow development of geriatrics in
and Dementia Intervention Team (Formosa, 2019).
academia, so that the teaching of geriatrics, especially at
However, this is not the same as saying that there is no an undergraduate level, seems to have emerged as simply
space for improvement or any shortcomings in gerontology an afterthought. In the context of a looming geriatrician
education in Malta. The fact that the University of Malta shortage, the “geriatrician” of the primary care workforce
offers specific degrees in ageing studies implies that its to prepare for an ageing population is especially warranted
social and health-care workforce – being in either social (Friedman, Gillespie, Medina-Walpole, et al., 2013). Such a
work, nursing, or oral health to mention some – is not well state of affairs leads to two urgent necessities:
versed in gerontological and geriatric issues. Due to its (1) The need to train a growing number of health-
microstate status, Malta focuses much more on on-the-job care professionals in the care of older patients in
training for people working with seniors and starts people the community and in the different types of elder
sooner in positions that, comparably, in other high-income care facilities. A greater number of coordinated
countries would require a specialization in gerontology programs are needed based on previous successful
either at Bachelor or Master levels. In fact, most students experiences… (2) The need to attract young fellows
who enroll to read for such studies are already working in with academic potential to enter the discipline of
the field of ageing, and hence, would have acquired their geriatrics. Preclinical exposure to elders living within
responsibility before any specialty training. Although the community or in institutions appears to enhance
the curriculum of the department’s programs was set by the motivation of young medical students to become
local and international experts in ageing studies and also geriatricians…
includes external evaluations, it remains hindered by two Michel and Cha, 2015, p. 1010
key limitations. One inadequacy is the disproportionate
American and Anglo biases in the choice of theories and The lack of fulltime geriatricians as faculty members
practices in all realms of ageing studies. There is little, if also implies that clinical training experiences a lack of
any, debate on the manner that established paradigms – facilities and infrastructure, in that lecturing and clinical
such as active ageing, successful ageing and productive placement hours have to be adopted to the geriatricians’
ageing – are located in cross-cultural spaces. While there availability rather than the other way around, and it is not
are studies that highlight the role played by culture in uncommon that students arrive to the patient’s bedside
ageing positively, such research is not listed in the reading in big groups. This not only serves to hinge negatively
lists of gerontology study-units, with hardly any mention on satisfaction of the older patients at the hospital but is
of how geriatric and dementia care is hinged on the value ineffective as far as the students’ educational experience is
system of the inquirer of cultural constructs or their social concerned. In this respect, the department’s track record
construction of reality” (Bowling, 1993, p. 449). Since all in collaborating with other medical societies – such as
rehabilitation, oncogeriatrics, and swallowing disorders
paradigms in ageing studies are value-laden and culturally to mention some – is not a favorable one. Moreover, the
constructed concepts, it is unfortunate that students are not absence of full-time academic posts in geriatrics has led
required to problematize the imbued cultural hegemony.
to a lack of departmental discussion as what should be
Indeed, gerontology education requires an impetus the basic knowledge, attitudes, and skills that students
to “elicit understandings of how [paradigms] are in gerontology education should have developed and
conceptualized by people in different cultural contexts,” possessed throughout studies. In 2000, a committee of the
requiring “a framework that is capable of identifying and American Geriatrics Society (2000) highlighted that the
explaining the relationships between cultural values and strategies for teaching geriatrics may change according to
understandings of the two concepts by people in diverse the resources available at each institution, material, and

Volume 8 Issue 1 (2022) 45 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.v8i1.1311