If you have a special desire to help aging patient populations, you are probably interested in finding out more about jobs in gerontology in public health. What kinds of jobs can you find in the public health sphere that are related to gerontology, and how can you best prepare for them?
Aging and Public Health
Public health and gerontology are two areas of healthcare that go together quite naturally. Public health is an umbrella term for the overall practice of good health promotion and disease prevention among groups of people. These might be relatively small groups or larger demographics, even whole countries. Public health concerns related to gerontology might tie into specific aging populations in a retirement community, city, or town, or to larger overall health trends among the aging demographic within the U.S.
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Some public health jobs in gerontology then are related to direct care, while others might in fields of research, assessment and the development of policies that directly affect care decisions for aging populations. And according to current statistics, it looks as though these jobs will become increasingly important as baby boomers continue to age, according to the Chicago Tribune. It is predicted that the elderly population in the U.S. will make up as much as 20 percent of the overall population by the year 2050.
Some Types of Public Health Jobs in Gerontology
For instance, all of the following might be considered jobs in gerontology in public health: a nutritionist making recommendations about healthy meals for the menu of a retirement community, a public health nurse providing flu-shots or other vaccinations for at risk members of the aging population, a scientist or researcher raising questions about the effectiveness or safety of certain prescription drugs used especially by elderly people or an emergency responder providing talks on safety issues in the home for aging residents of a small town.
According to the American Public Health Association, there are numerous possibilities for combining your interest in public health with the welfare of the elderly. Just a handful of the roles you pursue in combining these interests include those of public policymaker, researcher, health educator, nurse, doctor, emergency responder, occupational health worker, social worker or community planner.
Preparing for Your Role in Public Health and Gerontology
With such a wide array of jobs open in these fields, obviously your education and training is going to vary depending on what job you’re trying to pursue. However, there are actual Master of Public Health (MPH) degrees that specialize in gerontology, and there are also gerontology certificate and diploma programs at graduate levels that can help you to gain the perspective and skills you need. In addition, there are dual programs, like Master of Health Administration (MHA) and Master of Science in Gerontology (MSG) that will help you prepare particularly for managerial roles in public and non-profit environments that work with the aging.
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Whether they are finding ways to improve hospice care, helping senior citizens exercise safely and effectively, researching air quality in a city or supporting families whose loved ones are going through elder health issues like dementia or hearing loss, workers who combine their skills in gerontology with a commitment to public health are important. It can be well worth your time and effort to pursue jobs in gerontology in public health.