Gerontology Flashcards, test questions and answers
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What is Gerontology?
Gerontology is the scientific study of aging and the issues related to it. It focuses on understanding how people age, both physically and mentally, and how this affects their lives. Gerontology also looks at how society can better support older adults by providing services such as health care, housing, and transportation. Research in this field has been conducted for decades to better understand the biological, psychological, and social aspects of aging.The field of gerontology is a multidisciplinary one that draws from psychology, sociology, biology, public health and other fields to understand aging processes. It includes both basic research on physiological changes associated with age as well as applied research into interventions that can help older adults maintain good quality of life despite deteriorating physical abilities or mental faculties. This includes studying how age-related changes influence cognition, memory loss or impairment; mobility limitations; increased risk of chronic diseases; nutrition needs; social isolation; financial insecurity; end-of-life planning; bereavement process among others. The study of gerontology is important because it helps us to better understand the needs of an aging population and allow us to create policies that are tailored towards their specific requirements. It also allows us to develop strategies on how best to support older adults so they may have a better quality of life in their later years. Furthermore, an understanding of gerontology can help dispel common myths about what it means to age with dignity and respect myths which could otherwise lead us towards outdated approaches that do not adequately address modern issues associated with growing old(er). In this way, gerontology provides us with the knowledge necessary for informed decision making when it comes to health care policy development and implementation regarding our elderly population.