Outline

Overview

This distance mode elective gives students the opportunity to develop a theoretical understanding of anatomy and physiology relevant to the provision of physiotherapy services to older patients. Older people experience a range of age and disease related changes that must be considered by healthcare professionals. Underpinning professional practice is an understanding of key concepts in aged care such as the relationship between ageing and disease, the effects of ageing on reserve capacity, the fact that maintenance of function is frequently more important than the elimination of disease, the significance of the 'geriatric giants', and the importance of multi morbidity and polypharmacy. Having addressed these topics, the unit will focus on pain in older people, continence/incontinence, implications of dementia and delirium for the provision of health care and care providers, preoperative and palliative care, principles of geriatric rehabilitation and masters athletes. Students will obtain fundamental knowledge of these topics through notes, recorded lectures and online structured learning activities. Students have the opportunity to apply their knowledge to 'real-life' scenarios using case studies that support each topic.

Unit details and rules

Unit code	BIOS3345
Academic unit
Credit points	6
Prohibitions ?	BIOS1172 or BIOS1173
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	No

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Peter Knight, peter.knight@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Final exam	Final exam Short answer and MCQ	60%	Formal exam period	1 hour
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Mid-semester assignmnet Essay on first 3 modules of the unit.	40%	Week 04 Due date: 23 Mar 2020 at 17:00	1000 word essay
Outcomes assessed:

Assessment summary

In-semester examination: The topics covered in the midsemester examination will be - An introduction to ageing and physiotherapy, fundamental principles of ageing, the geriatric giants, and the effects of ageing on the musculoskeletal system.
Final examination: The important concepts covered will be relevant for the topics in the end of semester examination.

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100	Students who achieve this grade have demonstrated comprehensive basic knowledge and the ability to apply that knowledge to complex problems to the level specified in the in the unit of study description
Distinction	75 - 84	Students who have achieved this grade have correctly answered enough questions to demonstrate they have achieved the basic level of knowledge to meet the aims of the unit as specified in the unit of study description. They have also answered many of the higher grade questions correctly indicating that they can extensively apply the basic knowledge to relevant questions and engage in abstract problem solving.
Credit	65 - 74	Students who have achieved this grade have correctly answered enough questions to demonstrate they have achieved the basic level of knowledge to meet the aims of the unit as specified in the unit of study description. They have also answered some of the higher grade questions correctly indicating that they can apply the basic knowledge to relevant questions.
Pass	50 - 64	Students achieving marks in the pass range have correctly answered enough questions to demonstrate they have the basic knowledge to meet the aims of the unit as specified in the unit of study description. This may have been achieved by answering at least 80% of the pass level questions correctly, or by answering a significant percentage of the higher grade questions correctly. In setting the standard is assumed that the ability to correctly answer the higher grade questions indicates that the student has a working understanding of the important concepts and the knowledge that underpins those concepts, without necessarily being able to express the knowledge explicitly.
Fail	0 - 49	Students who fail this unit have failed to accumulate enough marks to reach the pass threshold. This means that they have failed to demonstrate an adequate level of knowledge of basic concepts to meet the aims of the unit as specified in the unit of study description.

For more information see sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	1. An introduction to ageing and physiotherapy; 2. Fundamental principles of ageing	Individual study (12 hr)
Week 02	The geriatric giants	Individual study (12 hr)
Week 03	Effects of ageing on the musculoskeletal system	Individual study (12 hr)
Week 05	Effects of ageing on the nervous system	Individual study (12 hr)
Week 06	1. The dangers of hospitalisation for older people; 2. Medications and the ageing population	Individual study (12 hr)
Week 07	1. Pain and older people; 2. Exercise and older people	Individual study (12 hr)

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

none

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. Explain the general goals of the provision of physiotherapy services for older people. Understand the core skills for geriatric physiotherapists. Explain the demographic changes that are influencing the demand for healthcare services in Australia and other countries. Explain their implications. Explain what is meant by compression of morbidity, why it is important, and how it can be achieved.
LO2. Describe the genetic and ‘wear and tear’ theories of ageing. Explain why ageing is considered to be a multifactorial phenomenon and the implications of this observation.
LO3. Explain the significance of the maintenance of function as a goal of health care for the aged. Explain what is meant by the term geriatric giants, list the key geriatric giants and explain their implications for older people. Explain what is meant by the term frailty. Explain what is meant by ‘atypical presentation’ in relation to older people. Explain the factors that contribute to successful ageing.
LO4. Describe in general the changes that occur in the skeletal muscle and bone with ageing and explain why they occur, the factors that contribute to bone quality and how they are affected by ageing. Explain the risk factors for, causes and treatment of, post menopausal osteoporosis. Using the general concepts that you have established describe in general the changes that occur in the skeletal muscle with ageing and explain why they occur.
LO5. Using the general concept is that you have established explain how ageing affects function in the nervous system. Explain how motor function is affected by ageing. Explain how and why gait changes with age ; explain the importance of walking speed in the assessment of an older person and describe some of the important systemic diseases that have an adverse effect on gait. Describe how and why balance changes with age and why these changes occur. Explain the inputs that are relied upon by older people to maintain balance.
LO6. Explain what is meant by delirium, how it develops, and its implications for the care of patients. Explain the strategies that you can use to manage delirious patients. Describe what is known of the experiences of a person who has suffered delirium. Discuss the importance of sleep for older people, how ageing affects sleep, and the adverse effects of disturbed sleep.
LO7. Using the principles that you have established describe how function in the respiratory system changes with age. Describe the structural, physiological, and functional changes that occur in the respiratory system with age. Describe the effects of ageing on the interpretation of basic pulmonary function tests. Explain why the risk of respiratory disease increases as people age. Explain the impact of skeletal changes on the ageing respiratory system. Explain the age-related changes that affect interpretation of chest radiographs.
LO8. Explain how the structure of the skin is affected by ageing and the implications of those changes
LO9. Explain in general terms why hospitals can be considered to be dangerous places for older people. Explain what is meant by the term atypical presentation of disease in older people and give some examples. Explain why people experience a functional decline during hospitalisation, describe the time course of the functional decline, and explain what can be done to prevent it.
LO10. Define polypharmacy. Explain the relationship between multimorbidity and polypharmacy. Describe the stages of pharmacokinetics, explain how they are affected by ageing and the implications of these changes. Explain what is meant by the term pharmacodynamics and how pharmacodynamics is affected by ageing. Explain how ageing affects half-life of drugs and the implications of the change. Define the term adverse drug reaction, describe the common manifestations of ADRs and the risk factors for them. Explain the principles of deprescribing. Describe the issues around adherence to medication by older people. Explain the role of the caregiver in the safe use of medications.
LO11. List the most common types of pain in older people and their frequency. Describe the current concepts regarding post-operative pain in older people and how pain management can be planned and managed. Describe the age-related changes in the central and peripheral nervous systems that occur with ageing that are relevant to pain and how ageing affects the perception of pain by older people. Describe the consequences of inadequate pain management in older people, including psychosocial effects. Describe the challenges associated with the assessment of pain in cognitively impaired people, and how these challenges can be overcome. Describe the impact of families on the perception of pain by older people.
LO12. Describe the general benefits of exercise for older people. Describe the general principles of exercise for older people and the details of resistance, aerobic, balance and flexibility training. Describe the common barriers to exercise participation by older people and methods by which these barriers can be overcome. Describe the effects of ageing on athletic performance.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Alignment with Competency standards

Outcomes	Competency standards
	Physiotherapy Practice Threshold Statements - 1.3. review the continuation of physiotherapy and facilitate the client’s optimal participation in their everyday life
	Physiotherapy Practice Threshold Statements - 1.3. review the continuation of physiotherapy and facilitate the client’s optimal participation in their everyday life
	Physiotherapy Practice Threshold Statements - 1.3. review the continuation of physiotherapy and facilitate the client’s optimal participation in their everyday life
	Physiotherapy Practice Threshold Statements - 1.3. review the continuation of physiotherapy and facilitate the client’s optimal participation in their everyday life
	Physiotherapy Practice Threshold Statements - 1.3. review the continuation of physiotherapy and facilitate the client’s optimal participation in their everyday life
	Physiotherapy Practice Threshold Statements - 1.3. review the continuation of physiotherapy and facilitate the client’s optimal participation in their everyday life
	Physiotherapy Practice Threshold Statements - 1.3. review the continuation of physiotherapy and facilitate the client’s optimal participation in their everyday life
	Physiotherapy Practice Threshold Statements - 1.3. review the continuation of physiotherapy and facilitate the client’s optimal participation in their everyday life
	Physiotherapy Practice Threshold Statements - 1.3. review the continuation of physiotherapy and facilitate the client’s optimal participation in their everyday life
	Physiotherapy Practice Threshold Statements - 1.3. review the continuation of physiotherapy and facilitate the client’s optimal participation in their everyday life
	Physiotherapy Practice Threshold Statements - 1.3. review the continuation of physiotherapy and facilitate the client’s optimal participation in their everyday life
	Physiotherapy Practice Threshold Statements - 1.3. review the continuation of physiotherapy and facilitate the client’s optimal participation in their everyday life

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

Student feedback is considered in planning the unit for the following semester.

Additional information

Work, health and safety

none

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Alignment with Competency standards

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Work, health and safety

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

BIOS3345: Physiotherapy and Ageing

Semester 1a, 2020 [Online] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Alignment with Competency standards

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Work, health and safety

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect