Getting Wiser about Getting Older

• CSUS gerontology program debunks myths about the
  consequences of an aging society.
  
  

  Aging isn’t just for the elderly anymore. With 3.3 million California residents over the age of 65, the needs and concerns of an aging population are making their mark on society at large.

From a business standpoint, Bonnie Parks of the Senior Worker Advocate Office points out that as people live longer, healthier lives, the idea of retiring at 60 or 62 is fading away. "This has a huge impact on how long people need to work, how much they need to save for retirement, and the amount of re-education needed to sustain two or three careers in a lifetime," says Parks. It also affects employers who need to see the value in retraining existing employees who already understand the organization. "It's important that employers understand the changing demographics," she says.

Gerontology from a business standpoint Peter D’Anna, a retired senior administrator with the Social Security Administration, is also homed in on the demographics.

“Quality of life issues have to start with demographics and people of all ages need to get involved in making decisions,” says an emphatic D’Anna. As he explains it, many senior issues aren’t really senior issues at all, but quality of life issues that impact the entire population. To support his argument, he dives into a list that ranges from universal design and transportation, to travel and air conditioning.

“An understanding of the aging process in a society that is aging in place is necessary in all aspects of business and the community,” says D’Anna. He couldn’t be more on the money.

With a little gerontology training and hands-on experience, professionals working in public policy, healthcare, architecture, community development, entertainment, real estate, government, finance, law and marketing (to name just a few) could have a huge impact on the lives of the more than 267,653 people over the age of 60 who call Sacramento home.

And that’s exactly what D’Anna conveys to his students in the Gerontology Graduate Certificate Program at California State University, Sacramento.

Gerontology Training at CSUS

"Gerontology is a program of study with universal application. If nothing else, it brings you to a personal understanding of the 4th semester of your life," says D'Anna. "A program like this teaches us that we will need each other and we will need community support systems to have a quality of life as the society ages."

D'Anna's course on Social Policy and Aging is just one of the six graduate-level courses that make up the certificate program which, contrary to possible misconception, does not train people to work in nursing homes.

“The idea behind the Gerontology program is that gerontology is multi-disciplinary,” says Cheryl Osborne, director of gerontology at CSUS and faculty coordinator for the certificate program. “We have many people coming from different backgrounds and many graduates going out into different careers.”

Forrest Fulton, Ph.D. of the San Francisco Police Department was attracted to the program because it was strong on theory and based on practical application. “The Gerontology Graduate Certificate Program offers a realistic approach that gives the students a broad exposure to aging in the 21st century,” says Fulton.

Gail Arno and Susan Nichols are also graduates and are now happily employed as family consultants with Senior Care Solutions, a placement and referral agency providing seniors with alternative living solutions.

Nichols had retired from an administrative assistant position at a private school and wasn’t planning to work again, until she ran across the CSUS gerontology program. “Seniors have always been a passion of mine and even though I wasn’t working in the field, I discovered a desire to pursue it. That passion coupled with the education has led to a rewarding career,” says Nichols who was hired by SCS upon graduation.

Arno was a fairly new employee with SCS when she to enrolled to validate her new position with some additional training. “I had had 15 years as an HR director and my parents died fairly young so I didn’t really know any seniors,” she explains. “Now I can’t imagine doing anything else.”

Aging in the 21st Century

Neither woman has a healthcare background, and although a bachelor’s degree is required for enrollment, that degree can be in anything. Gerontology is a multi-disciplinary career field that extends far beyond the healthcare area to incorporate the numerous disciplines concerned with the physical, mental and social aspects of life. People who enroll in the gerontology courses come from all walks of life. “It really was a plus to have a mix of ages and backgrounds in the class,” says Arno. “There were even a handful of seniors, but they weren’t getting older, they were taking the classes for ‘friends.’”

Teri Tift, a certified geriatric nurse who works as a clinical nurse educator with Eskaton Health Services enrolled in the CSUS program because it was so well rounded. “We were able to see aging from different views; legal, physical, social. This program isn’t just for nurses,” she says. Tift’s favorite course turned out to be Social Policy. “It was so different from what I do at work, and yet it was so very valuable. We need to get involved in the legal issues. I wonder where I will end up and I want the care that I deserve.”

D’Anna’s curriculum includes the intense evaluation of current legislation affecting the elderly and tracing it back to the policy initiator. “I want them to look for the visionary behind the law and ask what they were trying to make better,” he explains. The students then develop their own vision which manifests itself in a final paper. Inevitably two or three students end up immersing themselves in lobbying their issue.

Of the five other courses in the program, only one deals with the physiological aspect of aging. The remaining courses cover, age-related changes, models for successful longevity, and services for the aging. The final course in the program is an internship experience that gives students hands-on experience in the field.

Hands-On Internships

Arno completed her internship with the Del Oro Caregiver Resource Center, a nonprofit organization that supports caregivers of seniors older than 60. “I now have more communication and empathy for the caregivers in understanding what they go through,” explains Arno. “I didn’t really have an understanding of the confusion that is involved in dementia or brain injuries.”

Tift’s internship with the UC Davis Alzheimer’s Research Center found her exploring the early stages of the disease while Nichols’ experience on the phones at the Eskaton Senior Connection encouraged her to speak to people and explain things in ways that they could understand.

“There was a lot of value in the internship experience because even if you didn’t really know what you were going to do with it initially, many of the internships led to employment opportunities,” says Nichols.

Finding Your Future in Gerontology

“ Everyone knows someone who is getting older,” claims Osborne explaining how gerontology is an appropriate field for everyone. With 76 millions baby boomers just a few years shy of 65, it’s difficult to think of any area of society that wouldn’t benefit from gerontology courses.

The CSUS Gerontology Graduate Certificate Program takes 15 months to complete and offers 18 units of graduate-level academic credit that can be applied toward a special master’s degree.

Beginning in October, these project-centered courses will be held at Leisure Manor in Sacramento.

For more information, please contact Marley Morris at morrism@csus.edu or (916) 278-6075.

For more information about courses offered through CSUS College of Continuing Education, please visit www.cce.csus.edu or call (916) 278-4806. To register, please call (916) 278-4433.

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