Geriatric Care and Scope of the Course

Have you ever heard of geriatric medicine? Geriatrics is the branch of medicine that plans and coordinates the care of the elderly or ones suffering from other mental/physical disabilities. Being an elderly care sector, it makes for a somewhat sensitive work environment. A person opting for this field must have strong decision-making skills, maturity to deal with different types of people, and more. Choosing Geriatrics as a career opens up many opportunities both within India and outside India.

As long as the human aging process continues, the scope of geriatric care will continue to expand. Geriatricians must work collaboratively with nurses, physician assistants, pharmacists, social workers, and a variety of other geriatric health professionals.  A degree in Geriatric Studies can assist in constructing a very fulfilling career. If you are an empathetic person who wants to help others lead a better life then this degree might be the right fit for you. Rest assured that this is a rewarding degree as you can help people embrace aging gracefully and live healthy lives.

This course’s goal is to improve the health of the aged by preventing and treating illnesses and impairments. By doing a course in Geriatric Care Management, one can become a Geriatric Manager. To make a career in Geriatric care, a person needs specialised training. This will help them deal with the complex and interrelated issues affecting aged care.

For students who choose foreign countries for their studies, the geriatric certificate course will also help prepare them for part-time work. In most foreign countries, juggling part-time work with studies is a challenge. Having experience or related certificates in the field they choose for work helps them to get a job quickly.

By doing this course, the students get opportunities to work in many fields in India and abroad. There are many job opportunities in many fields Geriatric Doctors, Geriatric Nurses, Geriatric Pharmacists, Geriatric Physicians, and  Geriatric Researchers.

• Geriatric Doctors: Geriatricians, or geriatric doctors, are medical professionals who specialise in caring for older adults with a variety of health problems. Their duty is to help the elderly lead functional and high-quality lives. Their goal is to teach people about the problems older adults face and find future solutions.
• Geriatric Nurses: Geriatric nurses provide health screening, counselling, crisis intervention, and comprehensive care for older adults. They serve as key advocates in guiding the appropriate utilisation of resources and making referrals that promote continuity of care tailored to the needs of older adults.
• Geriatric Pharmacists: In addition to dispensing medication, they consult with patients, confer with physicians, and review medical charts. Geriatric pharmacists must complete the same training program required of all pharmacists.
• Geriatric Researchers: Geriatric researchers conduct research studies in the field of geriatric medicine and gerontology in pursuit of the goal of improving the quality of life of the elderly. They mainly focus on research examining healthy ageing, health services and quality of life of older people.

Due to the spread of epidemics like COVID19 all over the world, there have been major changes in human health. Such epidemics have particularly affected the elderly. We need to motivate and encourage our young medical graduates to increase their knowledge and skills in Geriatric health in order to reduce mortality and morbidity in the elderly from such infectious diseases in the future.

The career outlook for Geriatric Studies is very positive. Employment opportunities in this field of study are also increasing as humans continue to age. Due to the need for doctors to care for the aging population, there will be an increase in demand for Geriatricians in the coming years and since India is still a developing arena for skilled courses in the field, being an early expert in the same will be a definite added advantage.