What is Gerontology?
Summary
TLDRIn this enlightening talk, Kiren Emerson, a gerontologist at the University of Georgia, emphasizes the importance of gerontology, the study of aging, for both personal and professional reasons. She highlights the rapid growth of the aging population, debunks common myths about aging, and illustrates how understanding this demographic shift is crucial for various careers and societal structures. Emerson encourages learning about gerontology to navigate an aging society effectively.
Takeaways
- π Gerontology is an interdisciplinary field that studies aging at the individual and population level, incorporating knowledge from biology, humanities, public policy, economics, sociology, psychology, and public health.
- π¨βπ« Kiren Emerson, a gerontologist at the University of Georgia, emphasizes the importance of gerontology for both personal and professional reasons, highlighting its relevance in various aspects of life and careers.
- π By 2030, the number of older adults in the U.S. is projected to increase to 72 million, representing about 20% of the population, indicating a significant demographic shift.
- πΆ The baby boomer generation, born between 1946 and 1964, is a major contributor to the aging population, with every 8 seconds a baby boomer turning 65 for the next 18 years.
- π Life expectancy has increased significantly, with Japan at 83 years and the United States at 78.6 years, reflecting a global trend of longer lifespans.
- π Population pyramids illustrate the aging process, showing an increase in the number of older adults and centenarians, and a notable difference in the number of women compared to men.
- π΅ The aging population has personal implications for everyone, as we all age and may need to support older family members or become caregivers ourselves.
- πΌ Careers in various fields, from healthcare to fashion, will be impacted by the aging population, requiring professionals to have knowledge in gerontology to better serve an older demographic.
- π’ The increase in life expectancy and aging population will affect societal structures, including education, housing, and public policy, necessitating adjustments to accommodate the needs of older adults.
- π§ Common myths about aging are debunked in the script, such as the misconception that all older adults are sick, live in nursing homes, or lack interest in sexual relations.
- π For those interested in learning more about gerontology, the University of Georgia's Institute of Gerontology offers programs including undergraduate classes, a graduate certificate, and a master's degree with a focus on aging.
Q & A
What is the main focus of gerontology according to Kiren Emerson?
-Gerontology is the study of aging at the individual and population level, encompassing an interdisciplinary field that includes information from biology, humanities, public policy, economics, sociology, psychology, and public health.
How does gerontology differ from geriatrics?
-Gerontology focuses on the study of aging and its impact on society and the aging process, while geriatrics is the clinical and medical side of caring for older adults, which is left to clinicians known as geriatricians.
What is the projected number of older adults in the US by 2030?
-By 2030, the projections indicate that there will be 72 million older adults, which is about 20% of the population.
Why is Georgia an interesting state to examine in terms of aging demographics?
-Georgia has the fourth fastest-growing population of older adults, largely due to the baby boom generation, making it a significant state to study aging demographics.
How frequently are baby boomers turning 65 each day?
-For the next 18 years, every 8 seconds a baby boomer turns 65, which amounts to over 10,000 a day.
What does the life expectancy look like in Japan compared to the United States?
-In Japan, the life expectancy is 83 years, whereas in the United States, it is slightly lower at 78.6 years.
What does the term 'Elder speak' refer to and why is it considered inappropriate?
-Elder speak refers to the practice of talking to older adults as if they are children. It is considered patronizing and condescending, and it is important to treat older adults with respect as adults.
What is one of the myths about aging that Kiren Emerson dispels in the script?
-One myth dispelled is that all older adults are sick and disabled, which is not true as most older adults describe their health as good, very good, or excellent.
How can gerontology be relevant to a career in fashion design?
-Gerontology can be relevant to a career in fashion design by considering the needs and preferences of older adults, such as designing clothes that are easy to put on and remove for those with arthritis.
What is the percentage of older adults living in nursing homes at any given time?
-Less than 5% of older adults live in nursing homes at any given time, indicating that it is not as common as some might believe.
What is the University of Georgia's Institute of Gerontology offering in terms of educational programs?
-The University of Georgia's Institute of Gerontology offers an undergraduate class called 'Aspects of Aging,' a graduate certificate in Gerontology, and a Master's in Public Health with a focus on Aging.
Outlines
π Introduction to Gerontology
Kiren Emerson, an expert in gerontology at the University of Georgia, introduces the field as an interdisciplinary study of aging at both individual and societal levels. Gerontology differs from geriatrics by focusing on the societal impact of aging rather than medical aspects. The speaker emphasizes the importance of understanding gerontology for both personal and professional reasons, highlighting the rapid growth of the aging population, especially in the United States and Georgia. The speaker also discusses the significant increase in life expectancy and the implications of an aging society, using population pyramids to illustrate demographic shifts over time.
π©ββοΈ The Relevance of Gerontology in Various Careers
The script discusses the relevance of gerontology across various professions, noting a shortage of geriatricians and the need for more healthcare workers to cater to the aging population. It points out that even careers not traditionally associated with aging, such as web development, law, and fashion design, will be impacted by the demographic shift. The speaker also addresses societal and public policy implications of an aging population, such as retirement, healthcare, pension plans, and social security, emphasizing the far-reaching effects on all aspects of society.
π§ Debunking Myths About Aging
The final paragraph tackles common misconceptions about aging, such as the patronizing treatment of older adults, the arbitrary nature of age 65 as a marker of old age, and the stereotype that all older adults are sick or live in nursing homes. The speaker refutes myths about memory loss, personality changes, and the capacity for learning new things in old age. They also correct the belief that older adults are not interested in or capable of sexual relations, emphasizing the importance of understanding and respecting the diversity and individuality of older adults.
Mindmap
Keywords
π‘Gerontology
π‘Geriatrics
π‘Interdisciplinary
π‘Aging Population
π‘Baby Boomers
π‘Life Expectancy
π‘Population Pyramid
π‘Caregiver
π‘Professional Relevance
π‘Public Policy
π‘Myths about Aging
Highlights
Gerontology is an interdisciplinary field that studies aging at the individual and population level, incorporating knowledge from various disciplines such as biology, humanities, public policy, economics, sociology, psychology, and public health.
Gerontology differs from geriatrics, which focuses on the clinical and medical aspects of aging.
By 2030, the number of older adults in the US is projected to increase to 72 million, representing 20% of the population.
Georgia has the fourth fastest-growing population of older adults, largely due to the baby boomer generation.
Life expectancy has increased significantly, with Japan at 83 years and the US at 78.6 years as of the transcript's knowledge cutoff.
Population pyramids illustrate the aging population, with a notable increase in the number of centenarians and people in their 90s.
The aging population has significant implications for personal and professional life, affecting various careers and industries.
Geriatricians are in short supply, with only four certified geriatricians for every 10,000 people aged 75 and older in the US.
There is a growing need for healthcare direct workers to support the aging population.
Physical therapists will likely have many older clients due to the high prevalence of chronic conditions among older adults.
Even careers not traditionally associated with aging, such as web development and fashion design, can benefit from gerontological knowledge.
Aging impacts society and public policy, including education, housing, social security programs, and retirement.
Common myths about aging, such as the belief that all older adults are sick and disabled or live in nursing homes, are debunked.
Older adults are a diverse group with varying life experiences and should not be generalized.
The University of Georgia's Institute of Gerontology offers programs for those interested in studying gerontology.
Gerontology is relevant to everyone, as society is aging and understanding this field is essential for both personal and professional development.
Transcripts
my name is Kiren Emerson I'm a
gerontologist at the University of
Georgia I really believe that everyone
should take an interest in the field of
gerentology because not only is it
important to you professionally but also
personally and I hope to over the next
few minutes convince you that this is an
incredibly important field that everyone
should take an interest in let's just
start with the basics what is
gerontology and how is it different from
geriatrics gerontology is the study of
Aging at the individual and the
population
level it's an interdisciplinary field so
we take information from biology from
Humanities public policy economics
sociology psychology Public Health un
name it we do a lot and that's what
makes this field so exciting we look at
how aging influences society and how
Society can influence the aging process
we look at disease patterns and we
examine how we can age successfully and
healthfully we look at public policy and
how aging can influence those pretty
much the only thing we do not do is look
at the clinical and medical side of
things we leave that to the clinicians
which we call
geriatricians now that I've given you
idea of what gerontology is let's talk
about some statistics stay with me these
are pretty interesting in 2010 we had
about 40 million older adults about 13%
of the population that's already a lot
but by 2030 the projections are that
we're going to have 72 million older
adults about 20% of the population what
that means is that one out of every five
people are going to be age 65 and older
in
2030 in the US Georgia is actually a
particularly interesting state to look
at we have the fourth fastest growing
population of older adults this increase
is in great part due to the baby boom
generation they're the ones born between
1946 and 1964 did you know that for the
next 18 years every 8 seconds a baby
boomer turned 65 in total that's more
than 10,000 a day but that's not the
whole story life expectancy in general
is increasing in 1900 life expectancy
was 47 now in Japan life expect
expectancy is 83 in the United States
it's a little bit lower it's
78.6 let me show you what some of these
numbers look like using a pictoral
version of these numbers using
population pyramids on the left hand
side you have blue for boys and pink for
girls it's fairly straightforward and
down here you have these numbers of age
categories so at the very bottom you
have kids age0 to four and then as you
go up they get a little bit older these
are middle-aged people and all the way
at the very top these are the
centenarians 100 and older you can see
that aren't that many this is in 1950 so
it actually looks like a pyramid right
most people are down here at the bottom
which are the
children now let's see what happens up
until 2010 I'm just going to show you
what looks what it looks like every 5
years so this is 1960 1965 1970 80 85 90
95 2000 and let's stop at 2005 and see
what's happened since 1950 you can tell
already it doesn't look like a pyramid
anymore right most of the people
actually right here in this middle bulge
area which is where the Baby Boomers are
you can see lower fertility less babies
are being born and most importantly for
us as gerontologists you can see a lot
more people right up here so you see
that centenarians and people in their
90s are becoming more common you're also
going to notice there's way more women
than men and this is common in pretty
much every society in the world that
women live longer than men and you can
see that pictured right here so let's
look what that's going to look like in
the future we have projections up until
2050 and again this is going to go by 5e
increments 2010
2020
2030
2040 35 and let's stop at 2050 these are
projections and you can see it no longer
at all looks like a pyramid it actually
looks a little bit like an upside down
pyramid of sorts but mostly you can see
there's lots more people up here and
this is 70 this is about the 65 cutof
off point you can see a lot more
centenarians up there in 1950 that was
just a line so you can see a lot more
people up here so just from this easy
picture way of looking at the world you
can see that the world is aging and why
in the future gerontology is can become
more and more of an important field of
study so why do those numbers matter
well first it's personal you're aging
right now and everyone around you is
aging and you want to be able to face
that aging future with confidence and to
know what you can expect and you want to
be able to help those around you age
successfully even if you can't quite
imagine yourself as an aging adult right
now imagine those in your life that are
older like a grandparent or an older
Mentor you want to be able to know what
they're going through and to be able to
help them through their aging process
and odds are high that you might be a
caregiver at some point in your life and
the skills and information that you can
learn in gerontology can help you guide
that person and yourself through the
caregiving process second it's also
incredibly important for your
professional life might not seem
intuitive but pretty much any and all
careers that you choose are going to
somehow be related to aging there are
more obvious careers like geriatrician
but even those are in short supply right
now we have four certified geriatricians
in the US for every 10,000 person's age
75 and older it's not nearly enough and
only 1% of people in medical school are
choosing geriatrics as their specialty
so clearly it's going to be a shortage
in the future there are also not enough
Healthcare direct workers right now
we're going to need 1.1 million more of
those direct care workers to help with
our older
population then there's public health
workers the endless supply of
opportunities that you have for helping
with quality of life that's incredibly
important and physical therapists with
80% of older adults having at least one
chronic condition and 50% having two or
more you're going to have a lot of older
clients as a physical therapist even
careers that might not be so intuitive
to involve aging are going to involve
some gerontological knowledge what about
a pediatrician while grandparents
raising grandchildren is on the rise and
so you might see grandparents bringing
in their grandchildren into your office
what about developing a new website
a onethird of baby boomers are the ones
who are on the internet guess who has a
lot of money one study actually showed
at about 70% of the disposable income is
going to be among older adults in the
future so who are you going to advertise
to what about law while Wills in
Testament financial planning Healthcare
planning those are all going to bring
you older clients how about fashion
designer just because someone has
arthritis and has trouble with buttons
and zippers doesn't mean they don't want
to dress fashionably so having older
clients in mind for a fashion design can
be incredibly
important how about something like a
pizza delivery person a few years ago
there was a story in the newspaper that
an 82-year-old woman Jee Wilson had
ordered the same pizza every day for 3
years dietary choices aside one day she
didn't call in to order her usual
pepperoni pizza and the Domino's workers
got worried she didn't call in for 3
days and so one of the workers went out
to her house knocked on the door knocked
on the windows and she didn't answer so
that a pizza delivery person called 911
and they realized that Jean had fallen
and couldn't get up so the pizza
delivery person saved This Woman's life
so there's pretty much no career that
you can think of that isn't going to
have to do with
aging my third point about the impact of
Aging is what it has on society and
public policy if people are living that
much longer it's going to pretty much
affect every part of society and that
includes education housing churches
local governments public policy social
soci Security Programs you name it it's
going to be affected so let's just look
at one idea here what about retirement
if people live 30 years past their
retirement what's that going to look
like how is that going to influence
Healthcare in the country what about
pension plans what about savings Social
Security what about those people who
choose to retire but still want to be
engaged in the community are there
programs for them what about the people
who don't retire what are the
implications for you about that as you
can see just this one issue is really
intricately woven in our society and
there's so many more issues that we
could talk about so I hope that I've
convinced you that gerontology is
incredibly important but before I leave
you I want to challenge and talk about
some of the myths that you might know
about
aging the first myth is that it's okay
to treat an older adult as if they're a
child this is so common that we even
have a term for it we call it Elder
speak even if it's done unintentionally
it is not okay to talk to an older adult
as they're a child it's patronizing and
condescending so just talk to them as if
they're an adult and be respectful myth
number two a person becomes old the day
they turn 65 65 is actually a fairly
arbitrary number and you don't wake up
on your 65th birthday and all of a
sudden you're old and for a lot of
people old age is actually the best time
of their life just look at the Rolling
Stones they're still touring and
together their age is 270 or look at
Betty White she hosted Saturday Night
Live at the age of
88 myth number three all older adults
are sick and disabled or
both that's not true yes a lot of
conditions are related to old age and
yes physical changes will happen as you
age but that doesn't mean that all older
adults are sick and disabled in fact
most older adults actually describe
their health as good very good or even
excellent myth number four all older
adults live in a nursing home the
reality here is that actually less than
5% of older adults live in a nursing
home at any given time so it's not that
common myth number five old age is
accompanied by memory loss and dementia
while memory changes do occur with age
this varies greatly by people and
intelligence and creativity does not
necessarily Decline and while age is a
risk factor for dementia it is not a
normal part of aging myth number six
older adults are all alike older adults
are actually the most diverse group
you'll probably ever meet they've lived
long and varying lives and assuming that
they're all alike is just not accurate
myth number seven older adults have no
no interest in or capacity for sexual
relations that's not true like a lot of
other things sexual behavior in old age
looks a lot like it did for them in
their middle and younger years in fact
Studies have shown that it's more about
health not age per se and that about 70%
of men and women are still actively
engaged in sexual activities later in
life myth number eight personality
changes with age which is why there's so
many cranky old people out there that's
not true personality actually remains
fairly stable though some person it
traits become a little more pronounced
in old age so if you're a cranky person
now you're going to be a cranky old
person later myth number nine you can't
teach an old dog new tricks that's not
true older adults can learn new things
they might be a little bit slower but if
you give them some extra time a little
extra practice they can learn new things
just like anyone else myth number 10 I'm
not going to be a gerontologist or a
geriatrician so I don't need to know
about aging have you been listening to
me clearly you need to know about aging
you are aging and society around you is
aging and that's important to you both
professionally as well as personally so
you need to be prepared for an aging
Society now where can you find out more
about this right here at the University
of Georgia's Institute of gerontology we
offer several programs we have an
undergraduate class called aspects of
aging and we offer a graduate
certificate in gerontology you can do
that on its own or in combination with
another graduate degree in any field and
we also offer a masters in public health
with a focus on Aging if you want to
know more about any of these programs
just visit our website or give us a call
we'd love to hear from
you
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