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Field Of Gerontology

Perkins

Field Of Gerontology

Today, individuals are living past sixty-five years of age. The population has increased worldwide to 421 million people aged sixty-five or older. The field of gerontology allows many professionals in the area of health to find ways to help individuals treat problems like physical, mental, emotional and social. The field of gerontology paper will describe the field, identify the different disciplines involved, and explain how baby boomers will change our views on aging. The paper then will discuss if a person lived in an age-irrelevant society, would there be better opportunities for optimistic aging? Finally, identifies several major stereotypes and myths associated with aging (Novak, 2012).

Study and Field

 Many people are studying the field of gerontology. “The number increasing of individuals and the percentage of the population living to age sixty-five and over have made the issues of aging more widespread” (Novak, 2012). The field of gerontology studies older and aging adults and trained researchers in psychology, public health, social science, physiology and policy. Healthcare professionals who study gerontology comprehend disorders that can affect the process of aging. The different disciplines involved in gerontology are made up of the following:

To understand the aging process and the interests/needs of the older population, a gerontologist studies from different and carefully involved disciplines. The disciplines can help gerontologists seek answers to questions. Gerontologists can see the history of aging, various cultures, races, genders and economics, which affect the aging process to focus on developing the process. Those who understand the disciplines involved can help those professionals continue providing services and research to older people (Institute of Gerontology, n.d.).

How Will Baby Boomers Change Our Views About Aging?

 Novak (2012) stated, Between 1946 and 1964, the baby boom years doubled in numbers of births affecting every American institution”. These boomers will comprise the largest population between 2000 and 2030, doubling from 35 million to 72 million. Baby boomers are living longer and have healthier lifestyles. They are returning to school at 40 and returning from illness to run a marathon at age 80. The boomers have a higher scale for independence, which led to expanding healthcare organizations offering community and home-based employment.

Moreover, views on aging are shaping and changing the the healthcare system over the next 20 years as 3 million baby boomers retire. The growing number of boomers leaving workforces creates problems in the healthcare industry. Valuable surgeons, nurses, doctors and many other healthcare areas are leaving hospitals understaffed with retiring baby boomers. Programs like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security will be hit and could impose burdens on the government finance and economy. Baby boomers are doing activities now they could not do in their youth, like traveling, owning property and buying cars. Baby boomers have changed how we view age; many thought sixty was old, whereas sixty is considered young now (Barr, 2014).

If We Lived in an Age-Irrelevant Society, Would There Be a Better Opportunity for Optimistic Aging?

Society is still going through ageism, which is the prejudice and discrimination against older adults based on age. People see the elderly as weak, slow, sicker, useless, lonely and less educated on advanced technology. In the workforce, managers are younger and more educated because the person will be around longer. If we lived in an age-irrelevant society, there would be better chances for optimistic aging regarding society viewing the elder as the more confident and experienced people in the workforce.

Major Myths and Stereotypes

 In today’s society, there keep on being myths and stereotypes associated with aging. Some myths associated with aging are developing depression, causing dementia, leading to loneliness, and being less productive or creative. When looking at stereotypes associated with aging, many will look at older people as helpless, eventually becoming senile, having less work production and do not deserve healthcare. The elder is not always depressed, lonely, have dementia, or unproductive, as many are still active in their communities, health and families while enjoying life. Not all older adults are lazy at their work. The right to health care is not determined by age, not all seniors lose their memory, and the fact that older people are particularly vulnerable in emergencies does not mean that older people are generally helpless (World Health Organization, 2016).

Conclusion

 The population keeps increasing with people over sixty-five years old and over. In the field and study of gerontology, people keep helping the elderly treat problems like social, mental, physical and emotional issues. The study of gerontology has allowed health professionals to understand disorders affecting and improving an aging person. The disciplines involved in the field are biology; psychology; sociology; history; political science; economics, and anthropology. Gerontologists carefully study the disciplines to understand the aging process. Baby boomers are returning to school, enjoying life, running marathons and being independent. Myths and stereotypes continue to form where people feel that aging is useless, depressing, senile, and unproductive. In reality, many live past seventy years old, still feel young and healthy, and want to stay in the workforce. (Bass & Ferraro, 2000).

References

Barr, P. (2014). Baby boomers will transform health care as they age. Retrieved from http://www.hhnmag.com/articles/5298-Boomers-Will-Transform-Health-Care-as-They- Age

Bass, S. & Ferraro, K. (2000). Gerontology education in transition: Considering disciplinary and paradigmatic evolution. Gerontologists 40(1), 97-106. Retrieved from https://gerontologist.oxfordjournals.org/content/40/1/97.short

Institute of Gerontology (n.d.). What is gerontology? Retrieved from https://www.publichealth.uga.edu/geron/what-is

Novak, M. (2012). Issues in Aging, (3rd ed.). New York, NY: Routledge Publishers

World health organization (2016). Are you ready? What you need to know about aging.

Retrieved from http://www.who.int/world-health- day/2012/toolkit/background/en/index3.html

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Field Of Gerontology

700 – 1050 words

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