What is Gerontology?

Geron is a greek word which means "old man" and tology means study field. Therefore, Gerontology is a study of old man. Gerontology is a multidiscipinary field of study which examines process of ageing among individuals and populations. It has three core or foundation discipline - biology, sociology and psychology. However many other disciplines also contribute to its knowledge base. This included demography, education, law and ethic, the humanities, business and management, and economics.
(Taken from Webster University : http://www.webster.edu/%7Ewoolflm/GerontologyProgram/sld004.htm)

Gerontological Society of Singapore

The Society was established in 1986 to provide a multi-disciplinary forum for those working in the field of aging. As at 30 June 2000, there are 170 members drawn from a variety of disciplines and practices.

Thus, the concerns of the Society have been and continue to focus on ageing research and its policy implications. There is also an equal interest in the analysis of policies towards older people, both in service provision and the creation of a more positive climate for their talents and contributions. Whilst the primary focus of interest is on older people, the Society is also interested in aging throughout the whole life span.

The Society's main activities are concerned with providing media for exchange of ideas and information. These mainly take the form of conferences, seminars and publications. The Society has to date hosted two International Conferences in Singapore and many, many seminars and workshops such as Falls Prevention and Exercise in the Elderly, Nutritional Approach to Longevity and Symposium on Gerontology - Success In Aging and Health Matters In Old Age. Local meetings are also held regularly. Our conferences generally provide a significant opportunity for academics, social scientists , practitioners, healthcare professionals and social workers to share their experience in the care of the elderly. In most of our seminars, diverse topics were discussed in the areas of biological sciences, clinical medicine, social and behavioural science and social planning.

The Relevance of Gerontology to an Ageing Singapore

By,
Assoc. Prof. Kalyani K.Mehta
Department of Social Work
National University of Singapore

Gerontology is both a field of study as well as a professional specialization. The word “gerontology” has its origin in the Greek word “gero” i.e. old man and “ology” means “the study of.” Therefore, the term gerontology refers to the study of the ageing process and older populations. The vast variety of disciplines that may be involved in the study of ageing populations range from sociology, psychology, economics, social work, medicine, pharmacology, psychiatry, nursing, anthropology, architecture, history, geography, philosophy and even dentistry. Since ageing is a multidimensional process the study of ageing has to be multidisciplinary.

The emergence of gerontology took place just after the mid-twentieth century, when issues related to health, retirement, long term care and poverty grabbed the attention of academics, politicians and service providers. The historical origins of gerontology took place in the United States and United Kingdom. In 1985, Bergener stated “Gerontology is still a very young science – a science on the way to developing its own logic of research – taking into account the complexity of the subject to be examined” (p. xiii). Between 1960 – 1999 a huge amount of literature was published, lifting the entire discipline to a respectable level of scientific enquiry. Simultaneously, international and national organizations were formed such as the International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics and International Federation of Aging; British Society of Gerontology, Canadian Geriatrics Society, Gerontological Society of America, Japan Gerontological Society, Gerontological Society of Malaysia amongst many others.

Meanwhile, the field of Gerontology started to sprout sub-disciplines such as social gerontology, medical gerontology, feminist gerontology, geropsychiatry, ethnogerontology, psychogerontology and gerontopharmacology. Today, each of these sub-disciplines has accumulated a pool of literature that is growing dramatically to keep up with the concurrent global ageing process. The impetus for the rapid growth of Gerontology is directly linked with the phenomenon of global ageing. Today, countries that have more than 7% of their population belonging to the age group above 65 years are identified as ageing nations. Singapore joined the league of such nations at the turn of the last century.

Why is the development of Gerontology as a field of study and as a professional specialization so crucial to an ageing society? The rest of this chapter addresses this question and attempts to convince the reader of the importance of keeping updated with scientific knowledge in the field of ageing. In other disciplines it is easier to be updated as the literature would be concentrated in some specific journals or types of books, but Gerontology, being interdisciplinary by its very nature, poses an immense challenge. Professors of Gerontology have to constantly attend conferences and seminars to stay abreast with the new developments. Discoveries and technological advances get obsolete quickly as new findings replace the old with lightning speed (literally!). Practitioners such as social workers and counselors have to upgrade their skills as new theories and concepts demand modification of practical skills and program designs.

“In gerontology social scientists are faced with a wide variety of research problems ranging from the abstract (what are the effects of population aging on present and future social structures?) to the practical (what public policies can best reduce poverty among the aged?)” (Bengtson, Burgess and Parrott, 1997: S72). While this quote is largely in reference to social aspects of gerontology, it is also applicable to other aspects of gerontology. Research that is either pure or applied (or a combination of both) is relevant to gerontological studies, as long as the subject is to do with ageing, older persons and their families. An example would be the study of poverty among older people: What are the contributing factors? Are there policies that unintentionally promote poverty among the aged? Are older women more prone to slipping into poverty due to life course events and social structures? In what ways do cultural factors, beliefs and norms play a part to sustain poverty among older women? What changes in policies are required to help this vulnerable group? In what ways can social interventions and programs assist the poor older women to overcome the obstacles?

Preparation for an ageing population necessitates the synchronization of policies, services and programs as well as the reviewing of these to keep in tandem with changing cohort characteristics. Apart from this, new research has to be regularly conducted to provide statistics and insights for relevant policy planning and service provision.

In the context of developing countries, it is often the case that target populations’ i.e. older persons and their families, are unaware of services provided by governmental and non-governmental bodies. Public education has to be continually provided by a variety of mediums such as radio, television, newspapers (in the different relevant languages), the internet and public talks, so that the populace is kept informed of policies, services and changes (if any). In Singapore, the Gerontological Society was formed in 1986 and since its inception it has been actively involved in public education, organizing of conferences and encouraging research in the field of ageing. Institutes/associations of gerontology have performed some of these functions in developed countries, and this has been of tremendous importance to increasing access to resources for the older population and their caregivers (for example see website of the National Alzheimer’s Association www.alzheimers.org). Public education not only informs the public about the ageing process, it also becomes a tool for removing negative attitudes about older persons. Negative stereotypes i.e. ageism exists in almost all societies, including Asian ones. It is invisible and sometimes indirect, escaping the eyes of the cursory observer – yet when we examine closely, with changing values society, ageism creeps in. The positive strengths of older generations should be regularly reiterated, so that their past contributions are remembered, and their wisdom recognized. With more people trained in the artistic and scientific disciplines connected to gerontology, it is possible to remove to a great extent biased views and replace them with positive ones.

Government ministries conduct skills training/upgrading courses, but these are sometimes not catered to the aptitude and capabilities of seniors. Gerontologists could be hired as consultants for designing these courses, so that the resources are not wasted and older persons actually benefit from the courses.

Research into evaluation of programs and courses is required so that the funding bodies may be informed of the usefulness of the activities concerned as well as improvements required. Similarly, evaluation studies that monitor policies are also required for the same purposes. As knowledge and awareness of the physiology, psychology, and social backgrounds of the participants is required, as well as systematic tools of evaluation, gerontologists are well suited to conduct these evaluations.

In the recent report published by the Committee on Ageing Issues (see Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports website www.mcys.gov.sg) emphasis has been placed on accessibility for seniors and the creation of a barrier-free society. This move is to be commended as mobility for an ageing population is critical to active engagement in the community and society at large. This is in keeping with Singapore’s national policy of facilitating active involvement of older Singaporeans in their families, community and society. However, implementation stage, it is recommended that a multi-disciplinary team consisting of professionals who are familiar with ageing issues, for example architects, sociologists, psychologists and occupational therapists be consulted.

Geriatric and gerontological experts should work hand in hand in the application of scientific advances, biotechnology and assistive devices to enhance the lives of the disabled. It is inevitable that an ageing population will add to the numbers of physically and mentally disabled. The naked truth is that the fourth age will bring to head such issues not only for the nation but also for family members to deal with. Family and professional caregivers are faced with issues surrounding frailty, immobility, hopelessness, helplessness, depression and suicidal intentions. Such stressful responsibilities do lead to physical and mental exhaustion of caregivers. Once again, in this arena, gerontologists and geriatric professionals can give their input into effective social and therapeutic interventions so that the needs of the caregivers are not neglected. In the context of Asian societies, where the government expects families to provide primary and long-term care it is in its interest to care for the family caregivers, hence assisting them to continue caring for elder relatives.

Lastly, the training of professional (and family) caregivers in issues and problems related to ageing is urgently needed. For instance, managers of day care centers or sheltered homes should be familiar with symptoms and indicators of diseases such as diabetes, medication and their side effects and crisis interventions such as in cases of elder abuse or suicidal attempts. The trainers themselves should have prior training in the field of gerontology. It is a challenge for trainers to adapt the knowledge gained from other developed countries to suit the local political, economic and socio-cultural context.  For such courses to be beneficial to the participants, models, concepts, and theoretical frameworks have to be relevant and suitable to the local population
To sum up, it is to the advantage of all ageing nations to begin their preparation for a mature society with recognition of the tremendous contribution gerontologists can make towards the goal of a caring “society of all ages.”

References
Bergener, M. (1985) Introduction Gerontology – Between Opportunity and Reality. In M. Bergener, M. Emini, and H.B. Stahelin’s Thresholds in Aging. The 1984 Sandoz lectures in Gerontology (p. xiii – xix) Academic Press: London.