Certified Senior Advisor (CSA)® Exam Outline

150 Items

1. Social Aspects of Aging (25%)

   1. Aging demographics
   2. Trends in aging
      1. Changes in family patterns and structures
      2. Changing nature of retirement
      3. Increased Life-span
      4. Cultural and Global
   3. Aging and Society
      1. Gerontology and geriatrics
      2. Ways people age
         1. Chronological
         2. Functional
         3. Subjective
         4. Social roles
         5. Generations
         6. Cohorts
         7. Life stages
      3. Retirement
      4. Ageism
         1. Stereotyping
         2. Patronizing
         3. Discrimination
      5. Life as a widowed person
   4. Elder crime and abuse
      1. Physical
      2. Financial
      3. Emotional
   5. Family and Community Support
      1. Changes in family structure
      2. Interdependence, intimacy and belonging
      3. Types of supporting relationships
      4. Effects of marriage, divorce, remarriage and partner relationships
      5. Caregivers and Caregiving
         1. Demographics and trends
         2. Caregiver stress
         3. Caregiver support
      6. Housing
         1. Options and choices
         2. Stay at home or relocate
            1. Financial and emotional impact
            2. Housing adaptation strategies, including technologies
      7. Home and Community-Based Services
         1. Resource Information and referral
         2. Transportation
         3. Meal programs
         4. Care management
         5. Visitor/companion
         6. Telephone reassurance
         7. In-home care
         8. Hospice
         9. Senior centers
         10. Adult day care
         11. Legal
         12. Adult Protective Services

2. Health Aspects of Aging: Physical and Mental (25%)

   1. Physical Health
      1. Difference between life expectancy and life span
      2. Difference between aging and disease
      3. Nutrition, Fitness, and Health affect on longevity
         1. Healthy eating challenges for seniors (e.g., Tufts Food Pyramid for Seniors)
         2. Exercise
         3. Ongoing medical evaluation
         4. Smoking
         5. Substance abuse
         6. Activity and community involvement
      4. Chronic Illness in Seniors
         1. Most common conditions
         2. Impact on individual and family
         3. Symptoms and treatments
            1. Heart Disease
            2. Diabetes
            3. Stroke
            4. Arthritis
            5. Osteoporosis
            6. Cancer
         4. Pain management
         5. Medication interactions
   2. Mental Health
      1. Normal Cognitive changes
      2. Mild Cognitive impairment
      3. Methods for sustaining/improving mental health
      4. Mental disorders (e.g., depression, anxiety and personality disorders)
      5. Dementia
         1. Causes
         2. Diagnoses
         3. Treatments
         4. Care
         5. Legal issues
      6. Grief and Loss
         1. Types of loss (e.g., spouse, home, pet and job)
         2. Characteristics of grief
         3. Stages of grief

3. Financial and Legal Aspects of Aging (20%)

   1. Financial Goals
      1. Lifestyle Choices
      2. Self-sufficiency and Independence
      3. Financial Security for self and family
   2. Estate Planning and distribution of assets
      1. Beneficiaries
      2. Wills and Trusts
      3. Retirement Plans
         1. Qualified
         2. Non-qualified
      4. Taxation
      5. Charitable Giving
   3. Financial Challenges and Choices for Seniors
      1. Strategies for different income and asset levels
      2. Effects of greater longevity
      3. Retirement Savings
      4. Retirement Income Needs Analysis
      5. Financial Plan and asset management
         1. Accumulation
         2. Distribution
      6. Sources of retirement income
         1. Qualified retirement plans
         2. Stocks/Bonds
         3. Annuities
         4. Reverse mortgages
         5. Employment
      7. Risk Management (e.g., property, health and life)
         1. Insurance
         2. Self-insurance
      8. Taxation
      9. Investment Pitfalls for Seniors
   4. Long-Term Care (LTC)
      1. Definition of LTC service
      2. Need for LTC services
      3. Types of services
      4. Funding
         1. Insurance
         2. Self-funding
         3. Social programs
   5. Funeral Planning
      1. Choices
      2. Costs
      3. Funding
      4. Consumer protections
   6. Legal
      1. End-of-Life planning
         1. Advance directives
            1. Power of Attorney
            2. Wills and Trusts
            3. Medical Directives
         2. Personal information and inventories
   7. Health Information Portability and Accessibility Act
   8. Guardianship and Conservatorship
   9. Informed consent/ disclosure

4. Government Assistance for Seniors (10%)

   1. Medicare
      1. Funding
      2. Eligibility
      3. Enrollment
      4. Medicare (i.e., Parts A, B, C and D)
         1. Coverage
         2. Limitations and exclusions
         3. Appeals
   2. Medicaid
      1. Difference between Medicare and Medicaid
      2. Eligibility
      3. Types of Services
      4. Medicaid Planning
   3. Other assistance (e.g., Veterans programs)
   4. Social Security and Supplemental Security Income
      1. Beneficiaries
      2. Eligibility
      3. Enrollment
      4. Benefits
         1. Reduced
         2. Full
         3. Delayed
      5. Taxation of SS benefits

5. Understanding and Communicating with Seniors (20%)

   1. Individual differences and commonalities among seniors
   2. Myths of Aging (Stereotypes)
   3. Key developmental tasks
   4. Aging attitudes
      1. Denial
      2. Adaptation
      3. Irrelevance
      4. Affirmation
   5. Sense of purpose
   6. Spirituality and aging
   7. Fears/concerns
   8. Major life changes
   9. Age appropriate communication
   10. Professional Responsibilities
       1. CSA Code of Professional Responsibility
       2. The CSA Disclosure Statement
       3. The CSA Mission Statement

For a complete description of the CSA certification program, see the CSA Candidate Handbook.