Since the last edition, there has been a dramatic shift in the economic context in which we age. There are a variety of job fields that partake in researching, teaching, and/or practicing gerontology. Older adults represent a disproportionate share of health care and social services. The number of older adults in the United States will nearly double between 2005 and 2030, from 37 million to 70 million – accounting for 12% of the population today to almost 20% in 15 years. APA: Copy Torres, S. (2008). Four key subjects within Social Gerontology stood out as having particular importance –Demography, the Sociology of Ageing, the Psychology of Ageing and Social Policy. Teaching on mental health conditions such as dementia in medical schools is undoubtedly prevalent, but predominately from a biomedical perspective. Teaching on these disciplines has increased, but there are convincing arguments for more universal teaching of Social Gerontology. Why is it so important to study gerontology? Social gerontology is the study of the social aspects of aging (Hooyman & Kiyak, 2011).The scholars who study aging are called gerontologists. The people they study go by several names, most commonly “older people,” “elders,” and “the elderly.” The main aim of this paper to highlight the need to have Social Gerontology as a discipline in the major academic institutes and research centers of India. At the macro level, social work professionals play an important role in policy development. Most academic texts exercise scholarly distance as writers shy away from explicitly positioning them-selves in their theories or data. Most of … The impact of an aging population has featured prominently in the media reflecting the growing importance of this issue on the political agenda. Social gerontology is a specialization that centers on the social aspects of growing old. In the field of social work, it’s known as gerontology. Your comment will be reviewed and published at the journal's discretion. Are we teaching our students what they need to know about ageing? 3, 2008, pp. What every medical student should know about social gerontology? Regardless of medical specialty, the way healthcare professionals perceive older people may be biased by the tendency that they see only the sick, negatively shaping the belief that old age is one of homogenous frailty and morbidity [7]. 15-37. We have moved into the era of what I have long called the 'new gerontology', which contains the following components. We propose the following methods to incorporate Social Gerontology and its sub-topics discussed previously in this paper into medical school curricula. Gerontology and geriatrics, scientific and medical disciplines, respectively, that are concerned with all aspects of health and disease in the elderly, and with the normal aging process. This would help ensure that the doctors of tomorrow are better equipped to manage more successfully and holistically the growing cohort of older patients. Prevalence of atrial fibrillation and outcomes in older long-term care residents: a systematic review, Active management of hyponatraemia and mortality in older hospitalised patients compared with younger patients: results of a prospective cohort study, General practitioner conduct of clinical services representing comprehensive geriatric assessment is associated with lower risk of mortality in older Australians receiving home care packages, Social isolation, loneliness and functional disability in Chinese older women and men: a longitudinal study. Not only is there a need to increase the geriatric competence of our work force, there is a need to generate more interest in working with older adult as the number of geriatric specialists is declining. It furthers the University's objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide, This PDF is available to Subscribers Only. Burley, in 1981, stated that ‘there is a general agreement that courses in Geriatrics should include an introduction to Social Gerontology’ [8], one which we echo 34 years later. Examining the importance of Social Gerontology in different Academic Institutions of India. Bottom line, our work force is inadequately trained to care for older adults creating a work force shortage that will threaten the quality of care available to older adults. The goal of social gerontologists is to help older adults improve their communication and interactions with others. Next steps are outlined to enable students to make this important connection. As per the Census of India (2011), India’s older population is currently 104 million and this figure is expected to rise to 300 million by 2050. Ideally, they will be able to help older adults live active, independent lifestyles. A better understanding of older people's health-seeking behaviours may also allow doctors to communicate and interact more empathetically. For full access to this pdf, sign in to an existing account, or purchase an annual subscription. Gordon AL, Blundell AG, Gladman JR, Masud T. Gordon AL, Blundell AG, Dhesi JK et al. Email: Search for other works by this author on: Undergraduate Medical Education [Internet], The Ageing Population: key Issues for the 2010 Parliament [Internet], UK Parliament, Head of Commons Library Research, British Geriatrics Society Recommended Curriculum in Geriatric Medicine for Medical Undergraduates [Internet], Undergraduate teaching in geriatric medicine: mapping the British Geriatrics Society undergraduate curriculum to Tomorrow's Doctors 2009, Acopia and social admission are not diagnoses: why older people deserve better. While the arguments for the inclusion of more teaching on Geriatrics and Gerontology reflect the growing numbers of older people, in this paper we argue for the greater emphasis of teaching on one of the sub-disciplines of Gerontology in medical courses: Social Gerontology. Ways are proposed to incorporate Social Gerontology teaching into medical school curricula to better equip doctors to treat older patients. There will be more individuals who are fit and functional well into their 80s as well as more individuals living into their late 90s and even into their 100s. Beyond the knowledge bases that medical students are encouraged to keep up-to-date under the mantra of life-long learning, exposure to this subject may prompt medical students to also consider social policy. Written and raises a variety of salient contemporary issues also allow doctors to communicate and interact more.... ( GMC ) provides a core curriculum for all medical degrees in the UK fields that partake researching. 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