Gerontology Related Careers

Areas of Employment

The Gerontology Major is intended for students interested in careers and/or graduate study in such areas as: social service agencies, long-term care settings, retirement communities, nutrition programs, senior citizen centers, home services to the elderly, adult-day care centers, health delivery systems and planning agencies. Opportunities also exist in management, public relations, programming, information and referral, outreach and counseling.

Practically every department in the executive branch of the federal government and a number of independent agencies are responsible for policies and programs that serve the older adult either directly or indirectly. These include the departments of Health and Human Services (Medicare and Medicaid), Agriculture (food stamps), Housing and Urban Development (housing for the older adult and impaired) and the Veterans Administration (pensions and medical care). The Department of Transportation, Labor, Energy, Treasury, and Commerce also administer or monitor programs affecting the older adult citizen. In addition, state and local governments sponsor, monitor and administer programs for older people.

1) Recreation/Leisure Services:

(travel agent for senior travel and tourism, recreation therapist with special populations such as nursing home residents, retirement community manager, municipal recreation agencies, etc.)

2) Communications:

(communications personnel as marketing directors, writers, and artists, who are currently being employed to find ways of improving images of and services to the elderly)

3) Community Programs:

(Governmental agencies at the federal, state and county level - Area Agencies on Aging, State Departments of Aging, American Association of Retired Persons, National Council on Aging, Department of Veterans Affairs, Senior Citizens Centers, Commercial and private agencies, etc.)

4) Health Services:

(Adult day-care programs, community-based health care programs, Health Maintenance Organizations, Home Health Services, Hospices, Hospitals, Long-term health care facilities, Nursing homes/sub-acute care, Public health programs, Respite Care Services, etc.)

5) Social Services:

(Information and referral specialist for a variety of social service agencies for the elderly, Meals on Wheels Coordinator, Caseworker in a nursing home, care manager for a county Area Agency on Aging, Housing Counselor for a city housing authority, Transportation coordinator for a county transportation department, Policy Planner for a United Way Agency, a crisis intervention specialist for elder abuse, Friendly Visitors Program coordinator for private/public Social Service Agencies, etc.)

6) Business/Technology:

(Director of employment agency for Older Adults, Investment Counselor, Pre-retirement Counselor for Industry, Product Designer, Manager of senior Housing, Second-Career Counselor, Public Relations Officer, Market Research Analyst, etc.)

7) Criminal Justice/Law:

(Elder Abuse Investigator, Victim/Witness Assistance Program Director, Crime Prevention Program Officer for an Older Adult Unit in Public Safety, Conservatorship/guardianship program Director, etc.)

National Council on the Aging
409 Third St. SW (2nd FL)
Washington, DC 20024
(Provides training for professionals in aging, publishes magazines, newsletters, and reports; facilitates networking in many areas of work in aging.)

National Institute on Aging
Public Information Office
9900 Rockville Pike Bldg. 31, Rm. 5C27
Bethesda, MD 20892
(The federal government's principal agency for conducting and funding research on aging. Publishes materials on research careers in gerontology and geriatrics.)

One of the recent NIA (National Institute on Aging) publications is the 1993 Resource Directory for Older People. This publication gives a listing and description of all the national organizations that offer health information, legal aid, programs, educational opportunities, social services, consumer advice, and other assistance to older people and their families.

Occupational Outlook Handbook
U.S. Department of Labor
Bureau of Labor Statistics Bulletin
Washington, D.C.

Social and Behavioral Sciences Jobs Handbook
Federal Career Guide
R.B. Uleck Associates
Box 3009 Diamond Farms Branch
Gaithersburg, MD 20760

National Employment Listing Service
Social Service Bulletin
Sam Houston University
Huntsville, TX 77341

Occupational Thesaurus*
Encyclopedia of Careers*

*Both sources are available in the Office of Career Services

Aging America: Trends and Projections. Special Committee on Aging, U.S. Senate, February, 1990.