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CAREERS in AGING

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Updated: April 7, 2006


How Can You Find More About the Field of Aging?


Read more about careers in aging:
 


Career Paths in the Field of Aging
by David A. Peterson, Lexington, MA: Lexington Books, 1987.

"Careers in the Field of Aging,"by Anne S. Kahl, Occupational Outlook Quarterly, Fall, 1988, Vol. 32, No. 3, pp. 3-21.

"Social Work with Older People: It Could Be for You," National Association of Social Workers, 750 First St., NE, #700, Washington, DC 20002, 202/408-8600.

"Why Geriatrics as a Career Choice?" American Geriatrics Society, 770 Lexington Ave., Suite 300, New York, NY 10021, 212/308-1414.

"A Career in Long-Term Care Administration: Your Key to Success!" American College of Health Care Administrators, 325 S. Patrick St., Alexandria, VA 22314, 703/549-5822.

 
  1. Take an introductory gerontology course.

  2. Talk to people who are working in the field of aging. Ask them why they chose this field, what they do, and how they like their work.

  3. Volunteer in a senior center, a nursing home, or on a faculty member's research project in aging.

  4. Read more about careers in aging

  1. Read publications in the field of aging such as The Gerontologist, published by the Gerontological Society of America; Generations, published by the American Society on Aging; and Networks, published by the National Council on the Aging (see addresses below).

  2. Find out what events you can attend on campus. Some colleges and universities have gerontology clubs for students interested in aging. Campus gerontology programs often sponsor lectures, workshops, other educational programs, and opportunities to volunteer with older persons.

  3. Attend meetings of regional, state, or national professional organizations where professionals and students in the field present papers and discuss important issues. Student volunteers are often recruited to help at these meetings in return for free registration. The journals and newsletters of these organizations include calendars of such events.

  4. Many professional organizations -- such as the American Counseling Association, National Association of Social Workers, American Public Health Association, American Occupational Therapy Association, American Anthropological Association, American Psychological Association, and American Sociological Association -- have sections on aging that publish newsletters and/or sponsor sessions at their annual meetings.

  5. Get more information from government agencies such as the U.S. Bureau of the Census and the National Institute on Aging (see addresses below) which publish a variety of interesting demographic profiles and other information about the older population and its subgroups.

  6. Contact your state unit or area agency on aging about what meetings or publications might be available concerning local programs and activities for older adults.

  7. Write or call some of these national aging organizations:


    American Association of Retired Persons (AARP)

601 E St., NW
Washington, DC 20049
202/434-2277

American Society on Aging (ASA)

833 Market St., Suite 511
San Francisco, CA 94103
415/974-9600

Association for Gerontology in Higher Education (AGHE)

1030 15th St., NW, Suite 240
Washington, DC 20005
202/289-9806

Gerontological Society of America (GSA)

1030 15St., NW, Suite 250
Washington, DC 20005
202/842-1275

National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (NAAAA)

1112 16th St., NW, Suite 100
Washington, DC 20036
202/296-8130

National Association of State Units on Aging (NASUA)

1225 I St., NW, Suite 725
Washington, DC 20005
202/898-2578

National Council on the Aging (NCOA)

409 Third St., SW, Second Floor
Washington, DC 20024
202/479-1200

National Institute on Aging (NIA)

Public Information Office
9000 Rockville Pike
Bethesda, MD 20892
301/496-1752

US Administration on Aging (AoA)

330 Independence Ave., SW
Washington, DC 20201
202/619-0441

US Bureau of the Census

Age and Sex Statistics Branch
Population Division
Washington, DC 20233
301/457-2378

 

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© Copyright 2001 -- Careers in Aging