By Susanna Barton
For the past year-and-a-half, I have been pursuing a Master of Science in Gerontology degree from the University of North Carolina Greensboro. It has been the great rewiring of my brain, helping me chisel through crusty, hardened noodle material that has stagnated in its creases since early motherhood. It’s brought me new thoughts on life purpose and how a better understanding of aging can reframe personal and professional experiences. Thanks to this column-writing opportunity for First Coast Senior Living, I hope it can do the same for you.
In addition to the incredible data points about the demographic shift we are all due to encounter – all adults born in the Baby Boomer generation will be over the age of 65 by 2030, just five short years from now – I discovered many opportunities out there to support this robust group of people. I have learned a lot about the legalities around it all, the financial preparation that is essential to thrive in this life chapter and the physical, mental, social, cultural and environmental inputs of “successful aging.”
Gerontology is a new science that includes a vast array of experts and professionals, it is a diverse field of study and it truly impacts all of us.
A year in Gerontology graduate work has provided me with many new perspectives of aging and how we can approach it effectively. In this column space, I hope to share some of my top “lessons learned” or “key takeaways”. Each month, we’ll unpack new thinking about some of the most foundational elements of aging and how to implement it into our everyday lives. Here are a few ideas I have simmering:
- The older adult population in the U.S. is increasingly diverse and serving them will require more understanding of and empathy for their unique backgrounds and experiences.
- More than 70 percent of older adults will require long term care.
- Age is not a number — There are different ways to measure aging including chronological, biological, sociological and psychological.
I look forward to sharing all of these thoughts with you and hope this column inspires more conversations about Gerontology best practices in your circles as well.
