Geriatric Assessment Interdisciplinary Team (GAIT) Project Overview: The GAIT project is a free program for health and social science upper-level undergraduate, graduate, and professional students enrolled in a University System of Maryland (USM) institution. This educational initiative is designed to enhance the skills and knowledge of health care and social service students in assessing and managing the care of older adults. GAIT is funded through the USM Redeployment Grant System.
GAIT introduces students to the comprehensive geriatric assessment and the fundamentals of interprofessional (interdisciplinary) collaboration through both didactic and clinical sessions. The clinical portion involves interprofessional teams of students and trainees from various disciplines, such as medicine, nursing, pharmacy, social work, dentistry, and physical therapy, working together on an assigned case.
During the fall 2026 semester, both virtual and in-person GAITs are available. In-person GAIT projects are full-day, on-site events. Virtual GAITs use the Blackboard platform and Zoom. All GAIT project and workshop participants receive a certificate of completion.
The project is designed by the Geriatrics & Gerontology Education and Research (GGEAR) Program at the University of Maryland School of Graduate Studies.
The GAIT project provides an opportunity for students to:
- Interact with students and professionals from a variety of disciplines
- Participate in team-building exercises that focus on the value of an interdisciplinary approach to improve quality of care for older adults
- Understand services provided to older adults
- Learn about the needs of underserved older adult communities in Maryland.
As an interprofessional learning experience, GAIT is designed to help students:
- Understand the uniqueness of interprofessional teams and its value in providing person-centered care
- Recognize barriers to effective communication in health care teams and identify ways to reduce conflict and disagreement
- Explain aging processes and the diversity of the older adult population
- Evaluate best practices in honoring the autonomy of older persons
- Employ effective interprofessional and intergenerational communication skills.
Participant expectations:
- Participate fully in the GAIT experience. Information about expectations will be sent after your registration has been processed.
Fall 2026 GAIT Topics and Dates
Meals, project materials, and a travel stipend are provided for in-person GAITS. Overnight accommodations are available to participants traveling more than 50 miles to the training site.
Hospice Care in Practice: An Immersive Interdisciplinary Clinical Experience
In Person:
Thursday, Oct. 13, 2026, 8 a.m.-4:15 p.m.
Hospice of Chesapeake, 90A Ritchie Highway, Pasadena, MD 21122
This one-day workshop invites attendees to participate in the interdisciplinary approach to caring for the seriously ill geriatric population during their final days. Participants can expect to learn assessment skills, interdisciplinary care planning, and end-of-life interventions that lead to a peaceful death.
Register for Hospice Care in Practice
Older Adults at Risk: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Suicide Prevention
Virtual:
Thursday, Sept. 24-Thursday, Oct. 1
Blackboard opens Sept. 24 (~4 hours activities); Zoom Meeting: Thursday, Oct. 1, 3-7 p.m. Facilitator: Diane Martin, PhD, MSL, MA
Learn to recognize and respond to suicide risk among older adults, an often overlooked population in prevention efforts. Through case vignettes, discussion, and evidence-informed strategies, students will explore risk and protective factors, the importance of collaborative care, and how to balance safety with respect for autonomy in later life.
Register for Older Adults at Risk
Interdisciplinary Approaches to Hearing Health in Older Adult Care
In Person: Wednesday, Nov. 4, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
University of Maryland Hearing and Speech Clinic, Lefrak Hall, 7251 Preinkert Drive, College Park, MD 20742
This GAIT will focus on recognizing and addressing hearing loss in older adults as a key component of whole-person, age-friendly care. Participants learn practical strategies to improve communication; support cognitive, social, and emotional well-being; and coordinate hearing health and care across settings.
Register for Interdisciplinary Approaches to Hearing Health in Older Adult Care
Trauma Informed Care of the Older Adult
Virtual: Thursday, Nov. 12-Thursday, Nov. 19
Blackboard opens Nov. 12 (~4 hours activities); Zoom Meeting: Thursday, Nov. 19, 3-7 p.m. Facilitator: Jessica Chaney
This interactive interprofessional workshop introduces health and social care students to trauma-informed approaches for working with older adults. Participants will explore how trauma across the life course can affect health, behavior, communication, trust, and engagement with care. Working in interprofessional teams, students will apply trauma-informed principles to an older adult case, consider the perspectives and contributions of different professions, and develop collaborative strategies that promote safety, choice, dignity, and person-centered care.