10 ECTS credits
300 h study time

Offer 1 with catalog number 6021959FNR for all students in the 1st and 2nd semester at a (F) Master - specialised level.

Semester
1st and 2nd semester
Enrollment based on exam contract
Impossible
Grading method
Pass/Non pass
Can retake in second session
Yes
Taught in
Dutch
Partnership Agreement
Under interuniversity agreement for degree program
Faculty
Faculteit Geneeskunde en Farmacie
Department
Clinical sciences
Educational team
Siddhartha Lieten (course titular)
Activities and contact hours
30 contact hours Seminar, Exercises or Practicals
270 contact hours Independent or External Form of Study
Course Content

During the education, the ASO is given the chance to come into contact with a broad array of domains (acute geriatrics, psycho-geriatrics, subacute geriatrics and revalidation) within the specialism. During these internships, the ASO acquires specific skills with increasing complexity and applies these in practice with increasing autonomy.  

These topics relate to the following diseases, including the connected skills/techniques: 

  • Thorough knowledge on normal aging 

  • Demographic evolution 

  • Biological gerontology  

  • Cognitive changes with aging  

  • Psychological perspectives of aging: losses and mourning, meaning and fulfillment of life 

  • Social dimension: social consequences of the aging process, primary relations of parents, housing- and living conditions, social position 

 

  • Thorough knowledge on geriatric syndromes 

  • Frailty 

  • Cognitive disorders resulting from mild cognitive impairment 

  • Dementia, depression, delirium 

  • Urine incontinence 

  • Falling, balance disorders 

  • Consciousness disorders 

  • Sarcopenia 

  • Problems with feeding and swallowing 

 

  • Decubitus  

  • Sleeping disorders 

  • Chronic pain 

  • Thorough knowledge on age-related diseases (acute and chronic) 

  • Related to trauma 

  • Cardiovascular  

  • Pulmonary afflictions 

  • Oral and gastro-intestinal afflictions 

  • Hematological oncological afflictions 

  • Muscle- and skeletal afflictions 

  • Urogenital and renal afflictions 

  • Infections 

  • Neurological afflictions 

  • Psycho-geriatric disorders 

  • Malignant afflictions 

  • Skin afflictions 

  • Eye- and ear afflictions 

  •  

  • Thorough knowledge and prevention of:  

  • Aging (evidence-based use of vitamins, minerals and hormonal preparations) 

  • Geriatric syndromes (evidence-based screening, EB use of supplements, EB revalidation and movement therapy 

  • Age-related afflictions (EB screening for age-related afflictions, EB vaccination for infectious afflictions, EB use of supplements like vitamins, minerals, hormonal preparations; functional dependence) 

  •  
  • Metabolic disorders and endocrine afflictions 

  •  

  • Thorough knowledge on the specific aspects in pharmacotherapy of the elderly 

  • Changes in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of pharmaceuticals 

  • Choice of pharmaceuticals 

  • Choice of the form of application, dosage, dosage intervals and period 

  • Recognize intoxications and side-effects 

  • Pharmaceutical interactions 

  • Causes, consequences and dealing with polypharmacy  

  • Therapy compliance 

  •  

  • Thorough knowledge on the care at the end of a patient’s life and palliative care within geriatrics 

  • Knowledge on concepts of therapy’s limitations, life testament, last will and request for euthanasia 

  • Acknowledge the palliative, terminal phase and specific aspects for the elderly 

  • Knowledge of pain- and symptomatic control in the elderly within a palliative setting 

  • Knowledge on pro’s and con’s and ethical aspects of artificial moisture and nutrition  

  •  

  • Legal and ethical aspects, important in the care for aging people and the unwilling elderly 

  • Patient rights, person of confidentiality and representation, volition  

  • Unwillingness 

  • Various ethical trends and consequences in ethics of care 

  •  

  • Thorough knowledge on existing provisions, networks, activities for the elderly 

  • Care program geriatrics 

  • SP-departments 

  • Care at home provisions  

  • Alternative ways of housing 

  • Services for the elderly 

  • Technical services: punctures, bio-impedance measurements, simple ultrasounds… 

  • Knowledge on the organization of palliative care in Flanders 

  •  

Additional info

WORKING METHODS 

  • Supervision of the fine-tuning, diagnosis and treatment of the patients for whom the ASO is responsible: (at least 1x/day, 1h) organized by staff members/specialists in Geriatrics.  

  • Interactive discussion of complex cases: (at least 1x/week, 1.5h) organized at the hospitalization department of Geriatrics in the presence of the head of department and/or training supervisor.  

  • Systematic multidisciplinary case discussion: (at least 2x/week, 1.5h) in the hospitalization department of Geriatrics and the geriatric day-clinic in the presence of the head of department and/or training supervisor. 

  • Consultations: individual systematic discussion of the consultation all patients with a staff member or head of department or training supervisor. 

  • Supervision and progressive learning of specific technical services. 

Learning Outcomes

skills

OLR 2: Has acquired the skills, inherent to the specialism, and applies these correctly (M).  

OLR 17: Keeps further developing and improving own skills (M).  

Grading

The final grade is composed based on the following categories:
Other Exam determines 100% of the final mark.

Within the Other Exam category, the following assignments need to be completed:

  • Portfolio with a relative weight of 100 which comprises 100% of the final mark.

    Note: portfolio met functioneringsgesprekken en evaluatiegesprek aan het einde van het niveau expert (100%)

Additional info regarding evaluation
  • Evaluation of technical services by Direct Observation of Procedural Skills (DOPS) 

  • Portfolio with performance interviews and assessment interview at the end, level expert plus (100%).  

PASS/FAIL 

Allowed unsatisfactory mark
The supplementary Teaching and Examination Regulations of your faculty stipulate whether an allowed unsatisfactory mark for this programme unit is permitted.

Academic context

This offer is part of the following study plans:
Master of Specialist Medicine: Geriatrics (only offered in Dutch)