ASSESSING GERONTOLOGY PERSONNEL

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Abstract
The United States’ Congress mandated the assessment of the Nation's existing and future personnel needs in the field of aging. The Administration on Aging (AoA) was assigned that responsibility. From AoA's funded studies and its own reports, it is evident that: (1) there has not been a detailed assessment of gerontology personnel or gerontological instruction in the United States and (2) there is a lack of consensus on the scope of employment settings, the occupations, and the degree to which these occupations are age related and require training in gerontology. Comparison of published studies of students of master and bachelor degrees in gerontology indicates that a slightly higher percent of master degree students are employed full time, 75% as compared to 71% of bachelor degree students. There is also a slightly higher percent employed full time in aging, 59% as compared to 51% for undergraduate degree students. Valid and reliable data for employment of nondegree students in gerontology remains unexamined. To establish a systematic, detailed assessment of personnel in aging, it is recommended (1) that college and university faculty, who teach gerontology/geriatric courses, conduct periodic and detailed assessments of the employment of their students and also report on the gerontology education requirements these students fulfill; and (2) that a core set of questions on employment and on gerontology/geriatric educational programs be developed, standardized, and researchers be encouraged to use the questions in their assessment of personnel in aging.