9 ECTS credits
225 h study time
Offer 1 with catalog number 4024047FNR for all students in the 1st and 2nd semester at a (F) Master - specialised level.
This course unit offers students the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in a variety of healthy ageing settings. These multidisciplinary settings include primary, secondary and third-line health care as well as a research setting, where students learn to integrate the role of the physical therapist and other involved disciplines within an elderly patient's plan of care.
Students are responsible for creating their own internship program and choose specific sites that align with their personal learning goals. Prior to the internship, they must submit a reasoned internship plan to the program, which, once approved, leads to the start of internship activities. The program requires students to complete a minimum of 300 hours of internship across six different settings, with a minimum of 16 hours per setting:
- Independent practice physical therapy
- Residential care center
- Preventive or activating setting
- Intern Liaison Geriatrics
- Geriatric day hospital
- Scientific research in the context of 'healthy aging'
Each setting requires a specific approach in the internship reports. For independent practice and the residential care center, each report consists of an evidence-based case report focusing on a specific patient. These reports focus not only on the observation of treatments, but also on an evidence-based description of the clinical process according to the principles of evidence-based practice.
In the preventive or activating setting, students report on observed lessons, focusing on purpose and exercises, and reflect critically in line with scientific evidence. Students then develop their own group lesson for the target group, taking into account ageism and communication with the elderly.
For the Intern Liaison Geriatrics and Geriatric Day Hospital, students produce a brief report of the cases followed, including the health profile of the patients, their requests for help, the team's interventions and their outcomes.
In the research internship focused on healthy aging, students are expected to prepare a detailed research report that documents the student's roles, actions and contributions. This report describes specific activities such as data collection and analysis, and reflects on learning experiences and professional development in gerontology.
This comprehensive internship experience prepares students for effective integration into geriatric care and provides an opportunity to develop essential clinical and communication skills
Formats and necessary documents are made available through the learning platform.
The purpose of this internship is to impart knowledge, insight, skills and attitude regarding the functioning of the geriatric rehabilitation specialist in various clinical settings.
Central to this is the role of the geriatric physical therapist as caregiver/treater (within a multidisciplinary team).
The student is able to
- adequately communicate with older persons/patients
- to evaluate an older person/patient based on the request for help, to discuss/communicate about this with the person/patient and (if applicable) with caregivers from other disciplines, and to formulate a proposal regarding treatment strategy
- convert the treatment strategy in older patients into a concrete treatment plan and implement and/or supervise it
- evaluating and reporting the results/effects of a (series of) treatment(s) for elderly patients
- within a multidisciplinary treatment plan in elderly patients to carry out and/or supervise the parts belonging to his specific competence and expertise
- to cooperate with care providers from other disciplines within a multidisciplinary setting specific to geriatrics
The final grade is composed based on the following categories:
PRAC Internship determines 50% of the final mark.
SELF Internship determines 50% of the final mark.
Within the PRAC Internship category, the following assignments need to be completed:
Within the SELF Internship category, the following assignments need to be completed:
The student is assessed by the on-site internship supervisor based on an evaluation form (60%). The title holder gives an assessment based on the written report (40%).
This offer is part of the following study plans:
Master of Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy: Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy in Older People (only offered in Dutch)
Master of Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy: Verkort traject Revalidatiewetenschappen en kinesitherapie bij ouderen (only offered in Dutch)