Distance Learning & Online Gerontology Degree Programs
There is little doubt that it takes a special person to be able to care for the elderly and the aging. A degree in gerontology provides those individuals with the skills needed to work in home care careers, long term care facilities, hospitals and nursing homes specifically caring for elderly patients. Since the global population averages continue to age and people are living much longer, there will continue to be a strong demand for trained and credentialed workers within this field. A degree in gerontology may be a separate program or it may be completed in conjunction with a healthcare management or administration degree for those interested in obtaining management positions within care facilities for the elderly. Alternative medicine is another degree that is often taken in conjunction with the gerontology degree as it provides caregivers with unique and often highly appropriate options for long-term care patients.
Students may choose either an advanced degree such as a master of arts in gerontology or a master of business in healthcare administration as further educational opportunities. Other options include counseling for the elderly or specific physical, music, occupational or rehabilitation therapies with a focus on working with elderly patients. Effective communication as well as information on how to work with the family members and caregivers to elderly patients will be included within the course of study.
Specific classes within a degree in gerontology will vary depending on the area of focus for the student. Most graduates will have completed courses in aging and health issues relating to aging, mental health conditions with elderly patients, lifespan courses, specific classes on emergency medical procedures, legal and ethic issues in working with elderly patients as well as counseling and grief counseling both for working with patients and their families. Additional classes in social work, alternative help or therapeutic interventions may all be added to the program.
View the following Health & Medical subjects:
- Alternative Medicine
- Clinical Laboratory Sciences
- Communication Disorders
- Counseling
- Dental Hygiene
- Emergency Management
- EMS & Paramedic
- Food and Nutrition
- Forensic Medicine
- Forensics
- Gerontology
- Health & Medical Sciences
- Health Care Administration
- Health Care Management
- Health Informatics
- Health Information Technology
- Health Promotion & Education
- Health Services
- Life Care Planning
- LPN to BSN
- MBA for Physicians
- Medical Studies
- Nursing
- Nutrition & Food Science
- Occupational Safety & Health
- Occupational Therapy
- Pharmacy
- Physical Therapy
- Physician Assistant
- Psychology
- Public Health
- Radiologic Science
- Respiratory Therapy
- RN to BSN
- Social Work
- Sports Sciences