5 Top Fields of Gerontology
- Geriatric Social Worker
- Nursing Home Administrator
- Long-Term Care Nursing
- Home Care Gerontology Nursing
- Academia and Research
Gerontology is the study of aging, but gerontology specializations may encompass many different fields including social work, nursing and psychology. A gerontology specialization can be a rewarding one for people who are dedicated to improving the last stage of life for people. Here are five of the areas people may choose to work in.
1. Geriatric Social Worker
Geriatric social workers attend to the physical, emotional and social needs of people who are older than 65. Social workers may work with them to assess their needs and create a plan to address those needs. This could mean identifying organizations that can help them with certain services. While a bachelor’s degree may be sufficient for some positions, many people who work as geriatric social workers have a master’s degree in social work. They may also have a nursing degree and may need to be licensed.
2. Nursing Home Administrator
Nursing home administrators may have a bachelor’s or a master’s degree in health services administration or a related field. This gerontology specialization may be a position that people move into after experience doing other types of work in the gerontology field or the field of nursing. Duties may include making sure the facility follows state regulations, budgeting, training staff and making long-term plans for the facility and the care of its residents. They may also work with incoming residents to assess their needs.
3. Long-Term Care Nursing
A nursing degree is required for this gerontology specialization. The duties of a geriatric nurse may include patient assessment, discussing their health problems and treatment with them and assisting them with medications. They often work with staff that is on-site at various facilities, with family, and with caregivers to educate them about a patient’s condition and help create care plans. They may manage the overall care of patients while supervising certified nursing assistants and remaining in communication with physicians.
4. Home Care Gerontology Nursing
This is another branch of gerontology nursing, and it involves working in people’s homes. These nurses may supervise aides who assist patients with chores, hygiene, meals and any other day to day tasks. These patients may have complex medical needs, and home care gerontology nurses may perform a number of tasks including working with medical equipment, monitoring and administering medication, and assessing the patient’s progress. They often spend a significant amount of time traveling from site to site to tend to patients and do follow up medical care.
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5. Academia and Research
People who choose a gerontology specialization in which to teach and research may do so after spending some time as a social worker, a nurse or in some other specialty. Others may go straight through to a doctoral program. People who choose to work in teaching and research train others to work in the field of gerontology and also conduct research that may help improve the lives of older people.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, much of our population is reaching into their golden years. This means it is likely that there will continue to be growth in the years ahead of all gerontology specializations, and people who work in this area will serve a critical role in keeping this population as physically, emotionally and psychologically healthy as possible.