Gerontology Course - Scope, Job Opportunities, Career

The study of aging and elderly people is known as gerontology. As the science of longevity has advanced, so has gerontology. Diverse disciplines, including physiology, social science, psychology, public health, and policy, are represented among the researchers in this field. It entails a multidisciplinary investigation of societal changes brought on by an aging population, spanning the humanities (such as history, philosophy, and literature) to the social sciences (such as economics). Gerontology makes use of numerous scientific and medical disciplines' approaches. Gerontology study aims to gain a better understanding of the aging process, not to increase lifespan but rather to possibly reduce the limitations and impairments associated with aging.

It includes:

· the study of the social, psychological, and physical changes that occur as people age;

· an examination of the societal changes brought on by the aging of the population;

· the application of this knowledge to policies and programmes.

Gerontology is multidisciplinary because it integrates or combines a number of distinct fields of study. The Gerontological Society of America promotes communication and collaboration among a wide range of academics and researchers interested in aging, including doctors, nurses, biologists, behavioural and social scientists, psychologists, social workers, economists, policy specialists, and those who study the humanities and the arts. Gerontology, a more general term for the study of aging, includes the medical specialty of geriatrics, which deals with the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of illnesses in older individuals.

Due to gerontology's multidisciplinary orientation, experts from a variety of professions refer to themselves as gerontologists. Through study, instruction, practise, and the application of multidisciplinary knowledge of the aging process and aging populations, gerontologists enhance the quality of life and increase the well-being of people as they age.

History:

Although it is a modern discipline, gerontology is an ancient subject. There is proof that people have wondered about aging and the connection between infirmities and death with old age since the earliest histories that have been preserved. Given the complexity of aging processes and the unknowns surrounding mortality, there has always been room for myth, imagination, and wishful thinking. These conjectures gave rise to myths about how to extend life and the nature of death. Some of these myths' elements have been disproved by scientific research, but many of them have persisted as a part of our cultural heritage.

The French physician Jean-Martin Charcot was the first to emphasize the significance of specialized research on sickness in old age in 1881, but few physicians performed those studies until the early 20th century. It was then noted that older individuals experienced a significant number of pathological changes, and that a knowledge of the aging process might result in fewer illnesses among the elderly. The field of gerontology thus had its beginning.

Nobel Prize winner Elie Metchnikoff (1845–1915), a professor at the Pasteur Institute of Paris, coined the term "gerontology" in 1903. Although the term "gerontology" is relatively new, many early researchers published their findings and ideas about why the human body changed in look and function as well as the possibility of mortality as one's chronological age increased. Gerontology is the study of aging, including all related research and scholarly endeavours. The name is derived from the Greek word for an elderly person, geront or gerontos, and it also contains the suffix logy, which denotes a field of study or a body of knowledge. Geriatrics is a field of medicine that focuses on the diagnosis, management, and treatment of diseases and health issues that affect older people.

It is clear from archaeological studies of the precise entombment of people in preliterate times that many societies gave the passage from life to death and the prospects for life beyond death considerable attention. In those societies, special attention was paid to the manner of burial and to including items that would be useful in the hereafter. Although it is impossible to know for sure what our preliterate predecessors believed about aging and old age, their opinions were likely incorporated into many of the earliest written works.

Gerontology and its history can be broken down into several periods:

· the mythic period, which spans from prehistory to the Greco-Roman era;

· the philosophical period, which runs from the Greco-Roman era to the Renaissance;

· the Renaissance;

· the early scientific period, which runs from roughly 1600 to 1800;

· the expansion of empirical research, which runs from 1800 to about 1930; and

· modern gerontology.

These periods are not clearly distinguished, and it may be argued, for instance, that modern gerontology begins after 1930, when gerontological associations were first established.

Sub-Fields of gerontology:

Gerontology has been subdivided into a number of distinct fields, each focusing on progressively more specialized aspects of the aging process:

· Bio-gerontology: The specialized branch of gerontology known as bio-gerontology studies the biological aging process, including its evolutionary roots and potential avenues for intervention. The goal of bio-gerontology is to slow down or perhaps stop the aging process in order to prevent age-related diseases.

· Social gerontology: A multidisciplinary subfield with a focus on researching or working with senior citizens is social gerontology. In addition to social work, nursing, psychology, sociology, demography, public health, and other social science fields, social gerontologists may also have training in these fields. Social gerontologists are in charge of spreading awareness, conducting research, and furthering the larger causes of senior citizens.

· Environmental gerontology: A subfield of gerontology called "environmental gerontology" aims to better understand and intervene in the interactions between aging people and their social and physical settings.

· Jurisprudential gerontology: A subfield of gerontology called jurisprudential gerontology studies how laws and legal systems affect aging and is commonly referred to as "geriatric jurisprudence." Legal scholars working in the area of elder law were the ones who first recognised the need for a more comprehensive interdisciplinary approach when examining older people's legal challenges.

Gerontology Career:

If they concentrate on aging-related topics, people from many different fields can become gerontologists. The main disciplines that concentrate on gerontology are biology, sociology, and psychology, but other disciplines, such as those that research economics, politics, and public policy, occasionally also include gerontologists among them. Some gerontologists, however, have backgrounds in nursing, physiology, nutrition, or pharmacy. Doctors who specialize in caring for the elderly are called geriatricians, and they work in the related field of geriatrics. Gerontologists study topics related to the aging process itself. Recall that a physician who specializes in treating old patients and conducts aging-related research may be both a geriatrician and a gerontologist.

Gerontologists have a diversity of job descriptions because they might come from a wide range of fields.

· Gerontologists who conduct laboratory research are known as research gerontologists. They might investigate how aging affects the way our bodies are built.

· Applied gerontologists interact directly with older people and their families, observing their interactions and interacting with them in order to comprehend the living surroundings of aging individuals,

· Administrative gerontologists are several types of gerontologists who design and manage services and programmes that enhance and better the lives of individuals.

No matter what your individual career interests are, you can become a gerontologist if you are passionate about assisting the old and comprehending aging.

Gerontologists impact the World:

When studying aging, gerontologists adopt a multidisciplinary approach, viewing problems and opportunities through several perspectives. Gerontologists have the following effects on society:

Biological:

· Addressing the biological puzzles of growth and aging

· Revealing the mechanisms of cellular aging

· Identifying the physiological and genetic causes of disease

· Looking for various ways to slow down the aging process

Medical:

· Identifying new therapies and potential cures

· Providing aging populations with scientific and health solutions

· Increasing the number of people who can obtain health care

· Innovating in the field of technology to treat age-related diseases like Alzheimer's, diabetes, and heart disease

Psychological:

· Investigating the uniqueness and humanity that each intellect at every age possesses

· Helping senior citizens develop a sense of meaning and purpose in their life

· Recognising how emotion and cognition alter across the lifespan

· Studying and creating treatments for disorders like Alzheimer's that are related to memory

· Figuring up ways to preserve the stories of those who struggle to remember

· Respecting each individual as a whole by providing them with specialized care

Social:

· Highlighting the wisdom and strengths of elderly persons rather than their losses and flaws

· Recognising the sacrifices made by caregivers and their hardships, and seeking to reduce their burden

· Providing dignity and assisting with challenging transitions

· Combating ageism to highlight the diversity and contributions that older people make to society

Policy:

· Using advocacy to fight for equality

· Establishing laws and policies that enhance wellbeing and health

· Assessing the success of policies and programmes

· Speaking, for individuals who might not always be heard.

Ageing is a lifelong pursuit of mental, physical, and social growth rather than a progression on a timeline. Gerontology is the scientific study of the physical, mental, and social changes that older people experience. It also includes the study of societal changes from an economic, historical, and philosophical perspective, as well as the implementation of policies and practises to support older people that take gerontology into account. Gerontologists in the field of biology investigate the biological alterations that take place in the elderly. Thus, Gerontologists support people in living healthier, happier lives within more inclusive, equitable communities by researching aging-related issues and seeking innovation.

✒Staff Writer