Yanny Nga-yan Tse the community Worker in Gerontology

2012年5月24日星期四

Gerontologists look at the social, physical, and psychological aspects of aging to gain insight into the aging process. According to “101 Careers in Gerontology,” by C. Joanne Grabinski, gerontologists “work with, for, and on behalf of the growing population of elders in a wide variety of settings.” Gerontology is a multi-disciplinary field that draws from the knowledge of many professionals to provide expert care and advice to people as they grow older.

Gerontologists – Gerontologists have primary degrees in gerontology, and are concerned with the scientific reasons behind aging. Gerontologists focus on researching how and why we age.

Roles of gerontologists
There are a number of roles for gerontologists looking to start work in the field. A gerontologist might find themselves counseling older adults, challenging common misconceptions about the aging, researching the effects of aging or diseases that affect older adults, teaching in a university setting, or advocating for better services and care for the aging. According to “Careers in Aging: Opportunities and Options,” by David A. Peterson, Elizabeth B. Douglass, and Joy Lobenstine Whittington, gerontologists usually fit into seven job roles.

Gerontology

a division of medicobiological science that studies the phenomena of aging in living organisms, including man. The subdivisions of gerontology are geriatrics (the study of the diseases of the senescent organism), geriatric hygienics (the study of the hygiene of the elderly), and gerontological psychology.

The study of gerontology was developed with the essential changes in man’s life expectancy. In Europe, for example, the average life expectancy was 38.7 years in 1890 but approximately 70 years in 1970. In the USSR, the period 1917-70 showed an increase from 32 to 71 years in average life expectancy. This increase is primarily a reflection of the decreased incidence of death from infectious disease and the reduction of the rate of infant mortality.

A number of theories of aging have been advanced since the beginning of the 20th century.