Welcome to the Rhode Island Geriatric Education Center (RIGEC) where our mission is to prepare health care and human service professionals, faculty, and students and caretakers to better meet the physical, functional, and psychosocial needs of older adults.
Geriatrics education and training is crucial to improving the healthcare of our older population. As most health care providers encounter older adults in their practice, it is surprising to learn that very few have received any formal education or training in gerontology (the science of the normal aging process) or geriatrics (the branch of medicine treating the diseases and chronic conditions associated with older adults). Inadequate knowledge in these areas can lead to misdiagnoses, under or over treatment, medication errors, increased hospitalizations, poorer outcomes, increased costs, and reduced quality of life for older adults. RIGEC works to close this education gap by developing and delivering a wide array of high-quality educational programs and clinical training experiences that reflect the latest advancements in in evidence-based geriatrics practice.