Culture change in long-term care: educating the next generation

Long-term care facilities for frail elders are usually based upon the medical model, which is focused primarily on the biological functioning of these elders. The medical model allows for little choice on the part of the residents of these facilities. By way of contrast, culture change is a new approach to long-term care. This model of care seeks to meet a wide variety of needs for the elders and aims to expand their choices. This article presents the observations of college students responding to interactions with frail elders and looks at the implications of culture change for young adult college students.