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Need for workers to care for elderly expected to rise By Victor Godinez In 2000, the number of
Americans over age 60 was 45.5 million. By 2025, the number is expected
to reach 83 million, or nearly a quarter of the population. The result is that
gerontologists — people who specialize in working with the elderly —
will be in great demand. "It is a huge area, but I really don't think
we are prepared for it," said Dr. Kevan Namazi, director of the
department of gerontology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical
Center at Dallas. "Nobody thinks about who is going to take care of
these individuals." Career options for
gerontologists go beyond nursing-home positions, said Cheryl Culbertson,
owner of Elder Options of Texas. Assisted-living communities, retirement
communities, adult-day-care centers and senior-activity centers all will
be affected by the growth in the number of older people, she said. Gerontologists will be needed
as executive directors, social-services experts, marketing professionals,
community-relations coordinators, social workers, housekeeping staff and
certified nurses' aides. "It just depends on what the actual type of
company is and what they would need," she said. For example, marketing experts
at nursing homes and assisted-living facilities are in demand, Culbertson
said. "They need to have an
experienced marketing person who understands what extended care
means," she said. "You have to have more patience and empathy
— it's not a hard sell. You have to understand what it means to grow
old. You're trying to get somebody who maybe lived in a house for 40 years
and move them into a 410-square-foot room." Namazi said opportunities also
exist for gerontologists in companies that sell products to the elderly,
government agencies such as the National Institute on Aging, and advocacy
groups such as AARP. Despite the demographic
realities, employers haven't fully embraced workers who specialize in
gerontology. The reason is that employers
don't always understand what gerontologists do, said Derek Stepp, director
of the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education in Washington.
Gerontology isn't an accredited discipline, and no certification exams are
required. In addition, a divide exists in
the industry over whether the care of the elderly should lie with
gerontology specialists or general health-care workers trained in
gerontology. Stepp is aware that employers
aren't always educated on the special skills that gerontology specialists
can bring to the table. "I definitely think that is the case, and our organization and members realize that is the case," he said. "That is why you have the organization doing more outreach to the business world." Copyright
© 2002 Global Action on Aging
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