Thanks to the impact of modern medicine and healthcare technology, human life expectancy has increased dramatically. While this is good news for all of us, it has now also become necessary to provide physical and mental assistance to an ever-increasing elderly population. This is exactly where gerontologists come in with their specialist training and education to help elders adjust to their changing lives and ensure their well-being. The study of gerontology does not only hold promise and value for the situation as it is today but even more so in the future when the aged population in Bulgaria is expected to grow significantly higher.

Gerontology is an Overlapping Field

Although it may initially seem like an online masters in gerontology only allows someone to build a career in providing direct assistance to the aged, that’s not the case at all. While it is true that the basic principle behind studying gerontology is to understand the aging process and help those that are going through it, its scopes and opportunities are not limited to that only. The knowledge, understanding, and expertise of a gerontologist make him/her a very valuable resource for any industry or business that’s trying to manufacture products or create services for the elderly. The applications of gerontology overlap with fields of law, fitness, banking, marketing, and therapy to name just a few.

The Necessity

Getting old is an inevitable process that all of us must go through at some point or the other, but it may not be a smooth process for everyone. A therapist with a master in gerontology from the University of Southern California is going to be, by default, a therapist in demand. The reason for this is quite simple really; there aren’t too many therapists out there with such specialist qualifications, while the number of aged people who are seeking the counseling services of such a professional is innumerable. Add that to the number of caregivers from various professional backgrounds needed in old age facilities and you will begin to realize why knowledge in gerontology is essential today. The demand for gerontologists will only increase in the future as more industries begin to build themselves around the field.

Our Seniors Deserve the Care

Even when the career and business aspects are put aside, the truth is that our seniors both need and deserve the care and assistance which only a gerontologist can provide them with. Our previous generation had given some of the best years of their lives in raising us and now that they are at a difficult juncture in their lives, it is only natural that they are provided with the best assistance possible.

In addition to being a lucrative career option, a course in gerontology is a way to ensure happiness for others as well. The negative suggestions commonly made by our society often psychologically retires a person way before any real debilitating impacts of aging actually sets in. It is the job of the gerontologist to lift these experienced, wise minds out of the rut that they are falling into and give them a new perspective towards the life they still have ahead of them.