With numerous professionals entering this rapidly growing field, there are more career possibilities in gerontology now than ever before. Meanwhile, the reason for this increase is due to the elderly population living longer and healthier. Whew! That’s a relief. As the number of older generations keeps increasing, there will be a constant demand for professionals in gerontology careers to cater to and provide them with proper medical attention.
Gerontology is a field with a wide range of job possibilities. Some of the career possibilities in gerontology include nurse aide, social worker, personal care assistant, health educator, grief counselor, healthcare manager, and lots more. Additionally, gerontologists are not limited to working in nursing homes and healthcare facilities, but can also care for people in their homes.
As researchers keep advancing in this field, there has been new potential for improving health, life expectancy, and disease prevention of the elderly. Furthermore, doctors and clinical nurses providing healthcare and implementing treatment plans for the elderly also have career possibilities in gerontology. In this article, we’ll take you through career possibilities in gerontology, as well as the average salary of each job. Let’s dive in!
What Is Gerontology?
Gerontology is the study of how aging affects the physical, mental, and social condition of an individual. Careers in this field usually aim to cater to and improve the lives and health of senior citizens. Owing to the constant research and advancement, we can say that gerontological professionals are interested in the implications of aging and how the aging body requires different treatment plans.
Meanwhile, most of the career options in this field require medical knowledge and there are entry, mid, and senior-level jobs available. Keep reading as we discuss some of the career possibilities in gerontology!
Careers In Gerontology
Below are some of the different careers that you can explore in gerontology. Scroll down!
1. Healthcare Educator
With an average annual salary of $71,370, healthcare educators work with communities or groups, like senior citizens. They assist in educating them on how to take care of their health. As a healthcare educator, some of your job responsibilities may include conducting research about the needs of a community and designing educational materials.
Additionally, you may also oversee employees and volunteers. Oftentimes, individuals in this role usually create education programs that will target the healthcare needs of senior citizens. They may also present these programs in nursing homes and at seminars to educate families and caretakers of senior citizens. This gives both caretakers and senior citizens an understanding of how to maintain the health of an aging body.
2. Personal Care Assistant
Personal care assistants are responsible for assisting elderly clients perform daily tasks, such as changing their clothes, eating nutritious meals, and maintaining good personal hygiene. Working as a personal care assistant, you can earn an average salary of $41,130 per year. Furthermore, you’ll have the opportunity to work in healthcare facilities like nursing homes or the homes of your clients.
You may also have to assist patients with scheduling appointments, providing transportation, and doing household chores. Generally, the requirements for personal care assistants are a high school diploma and on-the-job training.
3. Grief Counselor
As a grief counselor, you may earn an average annual salary of $57,230. These mental health professionals specialize in helping clients heal emotionally after losing a loved one. Meanwhile, some counselors may work in offices that focus on the several aspects of geriatric therapy and counseling.
They may also work in nursing homes or assisted living facilities to provide services in the homes of their clients. Furthermore, the job responsibilities of a grief counselor include examining a client’s emotional state and offering coping methods after a loss. As well as actively listening to clients talk about their situation.
4. Home Health Aide
With an average salary of $34,790 per year, home health aides help the elderly to perform personal care activities. They may also provide them with basic medical services. The job responsibilities of a home health aide include assisting clients with bathing, eating, and also monitoring their vital signs, doing exercises, and giving medication.
They usually work closely with other professionals like therapists in the home of their clients. In addition, a home health aide requires a high school diploma and reliable transportation. A medical professional is also needed to help supervise the services provided by the home health aides.
5. Nursing Assistant
A nursing assistant is a professional healthcare worker who works with elderly patients without supervision and provides basic personal care and medical services. However, they will need to report information to a licensed or registered nurse. In addition, nursing assistants may earn an average salary of $44,330 per year.
Some of their job roles include helping patients with activities like bathing, eating, monitoring vitals, and collaborating with the patient’s doctors. They may also work in the home of a patient or assisted living facilities with many patients.
6. Dietitian
With an average annual salary of $93,100, dietitians help clients with planning their diet to live healthily and happily. For geriatric clients, they will advise them on which foods interact with certain medications, how to improve bone strength and the necessary supplements for vitamin intake. Furthermore, dietitians usually discuss health goals and current medical conditions with their patients.
This is mainly to create a diet plan that provides well-rounded nutrition and energy for elderly clients. Many states require licensure for dietitians to ensure they have the knowledge and skills to give safe advice.
7. Social Worker
Social workers in gerontology are responsible for coordinating the care of elderly clients and ensuring that they remain safe and happy. As a gerontological social worker, you will need to collaborate with clients and their families to determine and meet their needs. They usually offer advice to families on courses of care for their loved ones and collaborate with medical professionals to implement treatment plans.
As well as assess the basic mental and physical state of their clients. In addition, social workers can earn an average salary of $55,800 per year. The general requirements for this role include a bachelor’s degree, but a master’s in social work can be helpful for employment.
8. Audiologist
With an average salary of $ 85,600 per year, audiologists help in diagnosing and treating hearing and ear problems in patients. They usually work in healthcare facilities such as clinics and hospitals, where they test how well a patient can hear through hearing assessments. Also, they diagnose any hearing or balance issues of their clients.
People in this role frequently work with the elderly as their hearing declines to provide aids and assessments. As an audiologist, you may sometimes have to travel to assisted living facilities to provide your services. You will need to obtain a doctorate and state licensure before you can practice.
9. Health Services Administrator
Healthcare services administrators are in charge of managing healthcare facilities or departments such as hospitals and nursing homes. Some of the job responsibilities in this role include overseeing medical employees and setting achievable goals for their facility. Also, you will have to organize medical services for patients.
In nursing homes, health services administrators can assist with recruiting employees who will care for senior citizens. They may also coordinate the medical aspects of the facility, for instance, which medical professionals are available, how to monitor patients, and give medications. As a health services administrator, you can earn an average salary of $81,700 per year.
