Gerontology
Family and Consumer Science
Program Overview
According to the American Association of Family and Consumer Science (AAFCS), Family and Consumer Science (FAM &CS) is a field of study focused on the science and the art of living and working well in our complex world. There are many content areas of focus within Family and Consumer Science that can be studied at different universities, including culinary arts and hospitality, tourism, education and training, health management and wellness, interior design, human develop and family relations, family finance and more. ELAC focus’ on two of these content areas of study: Nutrition and Dietetics, and Gerontology.
For more information on the AAFCS, check out their website at aafcs.org.
Gerontology
Gerontology is the study of aging, across the lifespan. The Gerontology/Health Certificate of Achievement is an interdisciplinary program designed to prepare students to pursue entry level employment servicing the aging population and provide the fundamentals needed to work in the healthcare industry. Professionals can be employed in a variety of settings, including private business, government, nonprofits, and healthcare settings. Gerontology topics include the processes of aging from conception to death, the challenges associated with an aging and aged society, including wellness and nutrition. Biological, sociological, and psychological aspects of aging are explored. Healthcare topics focus on competencies required of healthcare providers, such as HIPAA, Professionalism/ Ethics, Diversity/Cultural Awareness, Teamwork, Collaboration, and Conflict Resolution, Customer Service, Safe Practice/Infection Control, Medical Terminology, and First Aid Skill Set. The emphasis of this program is to provide quality care and safety to the older-adult and across the continuum of care from wellness to illness. This program is designed to prepare students for employment in the field of aging to support the needs, interests, abilities, and issues of the aging population in California.
