What is a Gerontologist?

A gerontologist is someone who studies how people grow and change as they get older. They help people to understand what happens to their bodies, how they might feel about growing old, and what they might need to be happy in the future. Counselors, teachers, and doctors might also be gerontologists.

A gerontologist can help people in a lot of other interesting ways. For example, they might tell businesses or the government how to make life better for older people, or they might design parks, houses, or other buildings so that people are more comfortable in them as they age. They might also manage groups or activities that are designed for older people.

Preparing for the job

To become a gerontologist you must first graduate from high school. Once you have your diploma, you will need to earn a certificate in gerontology by going to college, graduate school, or gerontology school.

The future

Doctors keep finding more ways to stay healthy, so people will keep living longer lives. This means there will be more older people around than ever before. For this reason, there will be many job opportunities for gerontologists, especially in teaching and health care. There will also be a need for people who can organize exercise and volunteer programs for older people.