As humans, we see our physical and mental capabilities change as we age, and these changes affect us socially. Extensive studies have been conducted to understand the behavior of children and adolescents, but studies focusing on adults and the changes they experience are less common. In this article, we will focus primarily on Gerontology, which studies older adults, and its importance in today’s world.
This is incredibly relevant to caregiving, as the more we understand about seniors and how they differ from other age groups, the better they can be supported.
What Is Gerontology?
Gerontology is the study of aging processes and the problems associated with aging from a broad perspective. It focuses on humans’ physical, mental, and social changes as they age.
Gerontology also investigates societal changes resulting from an aging population and uses this information to create new policies and programs. Its primary focus is on ways to improve the quality of life of adults as they age, through extensive research, education, knowledge, and application of interdisciplinary knowledge to design policies and programs.
Where Can You Study Gerontology?
You can study Gerontology as a four-year bachelor’s program at many universities. If you have pursued another field for your bachelor’s, you can still opt for a master’s or doctorate in Gerontology from any accredited university.
If you’ve started working already, it may be difficult to commit to a full-time doctorate study in a physical capacity at a university. In such a situation, you can choose online Gerontology doctorate programs that you can pursue from anywhere while managing your work-life responsibilities.
What Do You Study in Gerontology?
The core subjects in Gerontology are Biology, Sociology, Psychology, and Therapy. They form the basis for understanding processes and changes that occur in cells, tissues, and organ systems of adults with time.
You also develop an understanding of biological, sociologic, and psychological changes that occur with growing age. People from multiple fields, including doctors, nurses, and scientists, specialize in the field of Gerontology to apply their gained knowledge to improve the lives of the elderly population.
What Skills Do You Learn as a Gerontologist?
When working as a Gerontologist, you will interact with people from diverse fields. You will be dealing with your patients daily and meeting policy-makers, service providers, and co-workers as a part of your job. Fulfilling your job responsibilities successfully will require you to learn certain skills, some of which are discussed below.
1. Compassion
Working in a medicine-related field requires you to interact with people in vulnerable conditions, requiring empathy and compassion. Such soft skills make you a better listener, help you understand the needs of the elderly better, make it easier to help them feel better, and aid you in finding solutions to improve their lives.
2. Problem-Solving Skills
Gerontology is a multidisciplinary field. You will encounter financial, medical, or social problems that you will need to address quickly to ensure the well-being and safety of your patients. As a Gerontologist, you will have to create policies to improve the lives of the elderly.
For example, you can work with NCOA (National Council on Aging) to create policies to keep older adults safe while voting. Or you can work on developing policies to provide preventative vaccines to older adults free of cost. All of this requires problem-identification and problem-solving skills.
3. Problem-Solving Skills
As a Gerontologist, you need to interact with patients from different backgrounds and need strong communication skills to understand their concerns. They will help you develop good relationships with your patients, co-workers, and service providers, which can help you have open conversations with the people around you and design more informed programs and policies.
Endnote
Studying gerontology helps you understand the different changes humans undergo as they age. This information can help with policy and program creation to improve the lives of the elderly.
You develop important life skills such as a sense of compassion, problem-solving skills, and excellent communication skills, helping you better understand your patients and design policies to improve their lives.
Want To Make Life Easier?
Check out the caregiving products we love!
This post contains a sponsored link
Leave a Reply