Kapok Aging and Caregiver Resources: A Beginner’s Guide to Gerontology
The following is reprinted with permission from Kapok Aging and Caregiver Resources.
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.
About Angelica Herrera Venson, DrPH, MPH
Founder of Kapok Aging and Caregiver Resouces
Angelica Herrera Venson, DrPH, MPH is a gerontologist born in San Diego and raised on both sides of the U.S-Mexico border. She’s a public health advocate who has spent two decades in community health work and research investigating how immigrant and racial /ethnic minority family caregivers and seniors navigate old age and seek out health and elder care. Today, Angelica supports some of Arizona’s community health centers, which serve primarily Medicaid and underserved communities, in their transition to value-based care.
About Multicultural Guide to Caregiving
Author and gerontologist, Angelica P. Herrera Venson, DrPH, opens up and shares her family’s personal stories and lessons from her field work and research on aging and caregiving with communities of color and first generation Americans.