The GEROS Project is a Service-Learning program aimed at improving the health and well-being of older adults through Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) and health promotion activities.
This program is designed to address the complex health challenges faced by individuals aged 60 and over, focusing on the prevention of frailty and the enhancement of intrinsic capacity and quality of life. It is a Service-Learning project because it will involve 500 students from various health disciplines at UVic-UCC, working directly with older adults. The objective is to evaluate the program’s impact on students’ acquisition of knowledge, skills and attitudes, as well as their ability to identify health issues in older adults. By engaging in this program, students from various disciplines, including Nursing, Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Human Nutrition and Dietetics, and Psychology, will gain practical experience while contributing to the welfare of the elderly community.
Data will be collected via the REDCap platform, using tools such as VIG-frail for frailty, ICOPE for intrinsic capacity, Euroqol 5D-5L for quality of life and the Nursing Outcomes Classification. The outcomes of this project will provide valuable insights into effective strategies for promoting healthy aging and improving the lives of older adults.
The GEROS team consists of Javier Jerez-Roig (PI) and co-coordinator Júlia Casacuberta-Roca, and also some investigators from the M₃O of different health fields: Eduard Minobes, Anna Escribà, Vinicius Rosa, Judit Rusiñol, Emília Chirveches, Alícia García, Blanca Ribot, Tony Da Sousa, Laura Coll, Meritxell Mondejar, Sergi Blancafort, Núria Gorchs. And also other collaborators like Clara Madrid, who will coordinate the Psychology degree, Patricia Lizett, as the PhD student and other students from the Scientific Iniciation Group, like Elisenda Fenollosa, or UVic-UCC will participate.
A convention has been signed between UVic-UCC and the social entity ASHES to promote this project. The project received funding from AGAUR (Agència de Gestió d’Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca), through the IMPACTE grant in the priority line of the call for “Volunteering and Service Learning”. GEROS will be also co-funded by the UVic-UCC.