The growth of gerontology & geriatrics in the United States

Since the confirmation of the Older American's Act (OAA) in 1965, the growth of gerontology and geriatrics, has literally come of age in the United States. Although individual aging courses were offered in higher education prior to passage of the OAA, few gerontology programs had been established. On campuses where gerontology courses were available, they represented electives connected with a pre-existing discipline, such as social work or family studies. However, 1965 was a watershed year for gerontology instruction since it heralded the provision of federal funding support, beginning with that of the Administration on Aging (AoA), to help develop, pilot, and oversee gerontological programs in American institutions of higher learning. Initially, instruction was at an undergraduate level, but later gerontology degree programs were established at the master's level, with the first gerontology degree program originating at North Texas State University, in 1967. This program was followed a year later (1968) by a program at the University of South Florida. While funding from AoA began in 1966, funding from other federal agencies (e.g., the Bureau of Health Professions (BHP); the National Institute on Aging (NIA); the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), Mental Disorders of Aging Branch; and the Veteran's Administration (VA))--the five agencies that became the basis for a 1984 and 1987 Report on Education and Training in Geriatrics and Gerontology,--did not begin until the mid 1970s. The mid 1970s reflected the growing awareness of the demographic shift in America and around the world, particularly in developed nations.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)