Occupational therapy scholar Regula Robnett co-edits gerontology textbook

Regula H. Robnett, Ph.D., OTR/L, director of the University of New England Department of Occupational Therapy, is co-editor of the new second edition of Gerontology for the Health Care Professional, published by Jones & Bartlett Publishers.

The new edition, which is co-edited with Walter C. Chop, MS, RRT, chair of the Respiratory Therapy Department at Southern Maine Community College, is a comprehensive, practical text covering the evolving field of gerontology, written for health care students and professionals.

Gerontology for the Health Care Professional, Second Edition, is clinically relevant while implementing theoretical treatment of the subject matter, presenting an up-to-date and realistic view on the aging process.

Contributions are by experts across many health professions, including UNE  faculty members David Sandmire, M.D., Department of Biological Sciences; Nancy MacRae, M.S., OTR/L, FAOTA,  Department of Occupational Therapy; Betsey Gray,  M.S.W., School of Social Work; and Sue Stableford, M.P.H., M.S.B., director of UNE‚Äôs Health Literacy Institute.

"Our goal with this text," Robnett explains, "is to provide valuable, practical information about the aging process and about working with older people. We hope that health care professionals from all realms will find it a helpful resource for their health care practice - one that they will return to time and again.  We also hope that the text inspires students, who may need to read it for one of their courses, to consider entering the fulfilling field of gerontological health care practice."

With topics presented in an introductory fashion, this book covers all the important aspects of aging and instills an appreciation for the multidimensional aspects of aging for those who are working with and caring for elderly patients or clients. Each chapter includes objectives, chapter outlines, multiple-choice review questions and learning activities.

New to the Second Edition:

  • Thoroughly updated content
  • New information on sleep, aging, and functional performance later in life
  • A new chapter on effective communication with older people

Topics Covered Include:

  • Demographic Trends of an Aging Society
  • Social Aspects of Aging
  • The Physiology and Pathology of Aging
  • Staying Healthy in Late Life
  • Cognition and Aging
  • The Psychological Aspects of Aging (including quality of life, personality change, and behavioral change)
  • Nutrition Throughout the Lifespan
  • Drug Therapy and Polypharmacy in the Elderly
  • Sexuality and Aging
  • The Continuum of Care (including care giving)
  • Financing Health Care for the Elderly
  • Health Care Providers Working with the Elderly       
  • Future Concerns in an Aging Society

Regula Robnett

Robnett, an associate professor of occupational therapy as well as department director, has taught at UNE for 14 years.  She earned her Ph.D. in gerontology from the University of Massachusetts. 

Her research and scholarship, most often involving graduate OT students, has focused  on functional cognitive screenings for rehabilitation (e.g. The Safe at Home and the ManageMed Screenings); longitudinal correlates of cognition and metacognition in late life; and occupational performance in late life.
 

About the University of New England

The University of New England is Maine’s largest independent university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of flexible, accredited online degrees. In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to make a positive impact in a world full of challenges. The state’s top provider of health professionals, we are home to Maine’s only medical college, Maine’s only dental college, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care degree programs, as well as nationally recognized programs for marine science degrees, natural and social sciences degrees, arts and humanities degrees, and business degrees.