10 Courses on Senior Care for Effective Care Giving

Caregiving for seniors is all about understanding their needs and tailoring your approach to serve them best. Various colleges and universities across the country offer a range of courses related to seniors that are essential for caregivers for seniors. Whether you’re looking for a career as a The Kingwood senior care provider or an experienced caregiver who wants to do better, here are a few courses on the senior care you can consider taking.

Gerontology

Various institutes (such as San Diego State University’s School of Social Work) offer Gerontology 101. This course focuses on aging, the process of aging and the physical, mental and emotional challenges associated with aging. It covers all aspects of a senior’s social and work lives.

Disability Studies

This important field covers disability among all seniors. It stresses on the psychological and physical aspects of disability and how to reach out to seniors with a disability. If you’re planning to specialize in Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s caregiving, then this is the course you need to study.

Epidemiology

This branch of medicinal science deals with the occurrence, transmission, and control of diseases and all other factors relating to health. In most of the colleges and universities, this study forms the cornerstone of all public health classes.

Aging Physiology

Some universities require, as a prerequisite to Gerontology major, students to display theoretical knowledge on how to heal the human body at various stages of aging. This forms the basis of the study of the physiology of aging. The course is also important when pursuing a master’s degree in public health.

Social Services for Aging

This is one of the many elective courses which are a part of the Masters of Social Work curriculum at the Brigham Young University. The course is recognized across all clinical social work programs in the US and is helpful in pursuing a Ph.D. program later on.

Gender Studies

Unlike Gender Studies 101, this course links gender and aging and is an advanced extension of Gerontology. It explores the impact gender has on aging and identifies the common gender-related conditions that are likely to occur in seniors. It will help you tailor your approach to serve their needs better- by taking into account gender-specific symptoms and treatment options.

Family Caregiving

This discipline requires classroom learning, as well as fieldwork. It takes into account the role of families in Kingwood, TX respite caregiving process. It also offers a detailed insight into understanding dementia and is extremely useful and highly recommended for caregivers helping seniors with Alzheimer’s.

Grief Management

This topic is difficult and uncomfortable, but important nonetheless. It helps prepare future caregivers on how to deal with the passing of a senior. The course is designed to help professionals cope with losses and assist them in reaching out to the senior’s family in their hour of need.

Nutrition

Various institutes offer nutrition, in addition to social work, psychology and pastoral care, as a core subject for a degree/certificate in Gerontology. As a caregiver, you will be expected to prepare diet plans and meals for the elderly. A practical knowledge of nutrition is, therefore, vital.

Counseling

Pastoral care and counseling courses provide a holistic approach to senior care. Some of the many skills you’ll learn under this course include family crisis management, family counseling, senior counseling, depression management, substance abuse management and dealing with family violence.