In recent years, the term gerontology has been used quite a bit, but it’s often used in a way where people aren’t sure what it means. The fact that it relates to senior citizens is obvious, but beyond that, the precise meaning can easily be lost. Strictly speaking, gerontology is a professional field that deals with helping senior citizens navigate the aging process. This is a wide field of professions, and it includes senior care services such as in-home care and assisted living within it.
Gerontology is often multi-disciplinary, meaning that those who specialize in this field need to have a wide range of knowledge. We often hear that those who specialize in a certain field are typically more successful because they have a more refined and more precise level of knowledge, but gerontologists are required to know a lot about everything that has to do with senior care.
On the other hand, geriatrics is the branch of medicine that deals with the aging process and the elderly in particular. Geriatrics is, if you want to get technical, a smaller field within the gerontology profession. However, most of the time when you hear the word “gerontology” it is used in a non-medical way, and the term “geriatrics” is reserved just for the medical field.
What does this mean for you and your family? In practice, it shouldn’t mean a whole lot. Knowing the difference between these things will help you to better use your time, though. When it comes to helping a loved one get the help that they need, time is actually a very precious resource. Oftentimes, family caregivers find that there are just not enough hours in the day to do everything that they need to do. Helping a loved one get through the day with all of their meals and medications, helping them to bathe and dress themselves, plus do all of the little tasks required to keep them safe is overwhelming in itself. Now take into account that family caregivers often have a job, other family members, and other responsibilities. It is a huge task for anybody, even the most organized of us. Saving time here and there is a big win in the long haul.
However, having a caregiver on your side that is well versed in other aspects of gerontology can be a huge help to the care of an elderly parent or grandparent. Yes, you want someone on your side that can assist with caregiving, but having a professional in-home care specialist with your family member every day that knows helpful tips on how to keep your loved one happier and safer will make the experience that much better for everyone in the family–not just your elderly parent. It might seem like a small thing, but someone that knows a great deal about senior care and health as a whole through extensive training is a much better thing for all of those involved. Always ensure that a caregiver is fully trained before you agree to hire them.
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