Week 3 – Aging and Frailty Module
This module was originally designed in collaboration with Dr. Kim Dej and Dr. Janet Pritchard from the School of Interdisciplinary Science. It has been revised and updated by Mr. Ryan Belowitz (School of Interdisciplinary Science).
Module Overview
In this Aging and Frailty Module, you will be introduced to the field of aging and aging research. The lecture will provide you with background knowledge including different definitions of aging (e.g. chronological and visible), characteristics and hallmarks of aging (e.g. cellular senescence, loss of proteostasis), changes in life expectancy throughout history, and frailty. In the lab, you will experience the symptoms of physical and mental frailty through aging simulation activities. In tutorial, you will complete a case study following two individuals who experience a sudden physical health change, and how their existing health conditions and daily behaviour (and whether they are considered an individual who is frail) can impact their recovery from this incident.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this module, students should be able to:
- Identify the symptoms of aging that are the basis of the simulations
- Describe the impact of aging on the human body based on their experience using aging simulation equipment
- Evaluate the aging simulation by analyzing the data collected from the frailty tests and mini-mental state exam
- Reflect on the aging simulation experience
- Evaluate the definitions of frailty (physical vs. mental) and compare the definitions to the frailty tests performed in the lab (e.g. Romberg balance test, gait speed test, chair stand test, and mini-mental state exam)
Missed work
If you miss the lab, tutorial or any work associated with this module, here are the details on accommodations.
