Programs to locate missing and critically wandering elders: a critical review and a call for multiphasic evaluation.

As America ages, greater numbers of older adults will be living with Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia, leading to increased incidence of wandering. Currently there are several initiatives to assist older adults who go missing. We describe and critically examine three prominent and widespread programs: Safe Return, Project Lifesaver, and Silver Alert. Despite their emergence, there has been little research on their effectiveness. More fundamentally, the nature and scope of the missing elder problem is understudied. We call for further research into this issue, as well as assessments of how well such programs balance individual liberties with safety concerns.

Promoting active engagement in health research: lessons from an undergraduate gerontology capstone course.

With National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Aging (NIH/NIA) (R15/AREA) funding, the authors offered a four-credit hour undergraduate research course that was cross-listed in gerontology and sociology. This capstone course was aimed at providing students with the opportunity to (1) gain knowledge about diabetes and racial/ethnic disparities in the management of the illness and (2) develop expertise in secondary data analysis, using the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data set. Each student designed and conducted her or his own research project and, working in teams, created a team poster and presentation. The authors examine student pretest/posttest questionnaire data, rubric-based assessment of students' work, and mid- and end-of-the-semester student evaluations to highlight three distinct aspects of the course: (1) skills acquired by students, (2) students' evaluation of the course, and (3) successes and challenges of implementing the course.