by Craig V. Nelson WSC News Bureau oh ets face “it, we “ali Buwant to age. The only other alternative is dying.” So said Dr. Jerry H. Borup, director of the newly established Gerontoloy Center. : The center was organized in response to increased numbers of elder- ly in America’s population and the corresponding rise in the need for information about that segment of society. Although the center has only been in existence a short time it is already becoming one of the best such centers in the nation. Dr. Borup said, “I have no doubt in my mind that we'll have one of the leading centers in the nation. We already have good programs and an excellent faculty.” Dr. Borup said that over the past decade the demographics of this country’s population have slowly grown older and in response to that the college has developed an_ innovative educational approach to aging that has gained national recognition. He said, “With society getting older and older we have to answer the questions of aging.” The professor noted that the 65 years and above age group is the fastest growing in the nation. In 1960, for ex- ample, 16.7% of the population was in that category. In 1983 the figure jumped to 27.4%. Utah has a 65 and over population of 7.6%, in Montana it’s 11.4%, in Idaho The new Gerontology Center was established both to help the elderly find the maximum enjoyment in their later years and to provide professionals in gerontology the latest in terms of training and information. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that by the year 2000 a majority of the population in the United States will be over 45. that age group will continue to grow the fastest in the new century, predictions say. most of our society will be over 45. “We're a greying society,” Dr. Borup “We want to give direct support and services to the elderly,” Dr. Borup said. “Medical advances are letting people have longer lives and we have to find ways to enhance those lives.” said. “That may include helping them come on campus for classes, suppor- The WSC aging center ERS recently Ee “Let's face it, we all want to age. The only other alternative is dying.” ting those who are dying, helping provide linkages with agencies or similar programs.” The center will also give short-term training for those who work with the elderly. The college presently offers a number of in-service type courses in aging throughout Utah and Dr. Borup said the center will continue to expand on that idea. the elderly the most good. Dr. Borup said, ‘Because of the support of the college administration we have developed one of the best four year undergraduate programs in the nation and now we're extending it to the center.” He said that the WSC gerontology curriculum was «ne of four programs and the only inst: ute of higher education in the U.S. to be show-cased: by the government recently in Washington, D.C. In addition, the college gets numerous requests to help ‘Minority relations is another emphasis of the center. We want to address their needs and develop ways of sensitizing people to ethnic concerns,” he said. Dr. Borup 10.6%, Wyoming 7.9%, Colorado 8.6%, California 10.4%, Washington is 11%, Arizona 12%, and 12.5% of the population older. in Oregon The U.S. Census the life expectancy from 53.6 years in For women it went to a life span of Combine that is 65 or Bureau reports that for men has jumped 1920 to 71 in 1983. from 54.6 in 1920 to 78.3 years in 1983. with the fact that families are having fewer children and it isn’t hard to see why the Census Bureau predicts that by the year 2000 received a $68,000 grant from the U.S. will also Aging is not for S1Ssles. explained that research be a significant part of the center. Health and Human Services. (Only two institutions in the country have received two consecutive years of such funding. Weber State is in its eighth He noted that life expectancy among women, for example, has out-paced men by about seven years and future SAINTEae other year of funding.) Dr. Borup said the research will focus on widows. He said, ‘‘Women widowhood for longer programs. money will be used to develop aging courses for those who work with Ute and Navajo elderly, an area that has been neglected in the past. He said the new aging center has five major functions with the overall goal of improving senior citizens. the quality of life for now face periods. We have to face that issue.” The professor said that students who graduate from Weber State in the field of aging are required to have 180 hours of in-the-field experience and the center will help see that they get experience in areas where it will do the students and organizations develop similar He said, “The support systems for aging are much better now than they were ten years ago, but there still is a lot to be done.” 3 He added, “Aging is not for sissies. It poses a lot of challenges and the elderly have to work through won't get old.” them or they | ae