Don’t look now, but society is getting older.
Data published by the Administration for Community Living projects that by the year 2060, persons 65 years and older will total around 98 million. This estimate is more than twice the 2014 census that numbered today’s older adults totaling 46.2 million.
Additionally, as that number of older adults increases, so too does the need for healthcare professionals. The Bureau of Labor Statistics, as reported by Ameritech College of Healthcare, estimates that an additional 1 million nurses will be needed in the healthcare industry by 2022.
In response to the growing needs of the nation’s aging communities, the American Society on Aging is committed to becoming an essential online resource that “cultivates leadership, advances knowledge, and strengthens the skills of those who work with, and on behalf of, older adults.” ASA has teamed up the country’s leading School of Gerontology to provide a five-week course study program that explores the Fundamentals of Gerontology. The Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, a cornerstone of the University of Southern California’s curriculum, is the oldest and largest school of gerontology in the world.
“This collaboration with USC responds to our members’ desire for a common body of knowledge that connects their varied multidisciplinary backgrounds,” said Robert G. Stein, president and CEO of the American Society on Aging.
This online course offered by the American Society on Aging and the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology provides in-depth coursework that answers the question why gaining a better understanding of aging within the field of gerontology is an important part of providing support to this growing population. Students will also learn to track demographic trends on aging, identify the psychological perspectives of aging, learn about the biology and biomarkers of aging and key diseases associated with aging, and discuss policy and programs that affect older Americans.
This $500 program is available exclusively to ASA members. “Together, we’ve kept the fee low so that accessibility can be high, and we hope every ASA member will enroll in this program,” said Stein.
The next session is scheduled to run this week through August 26. For more information on upcoming sessions or the certification for the Fundamentals of Gerontology through USC, please visit http://www.asaging.org/gero-fundamentals.
