Gerontological Healthcare

Are you a health professional seeking career development in the growing speciality of older peoples' healthcare? Do you want to be seen as a leader in the field of ageing, with skills and knowledge applicable across a range of health care settings?

This major in Gerontological Healthcare is designed to reach the healthcare professional who wishes to develop specialist skills in the care of older adults and expand their leadership pathway in a range of health care settings.

This major will aim to develop excellence in contemporary older person’s healthcare care to meet the professional development needs of graduates interested in ageing studies and evidence-based approaches to practice and policy development.

3 reasons to study Gerontological Healthcare at Murdoch

1. Study at your own pace with flexible, online learning.
2. Gain evidence-based skills and strategies that are immediately applicable to your work.
3. Take a step towards specialising in Gerontological Healthcare practice.

What you’ll learn

• Appraise all available information to make timely, person-centred, evidence-based decisions to achieve agreed health goals for older persons.
• Demonstrate effective communication skills and technical research skills to evaluate and synthesise complex information to specialist and non-specialist stakeholders
• Display safe, caring, respectful, responsive, and therapeutic relationships with older people during health and illness across a range of healthcare contexts.
• Demonstrate the capability to operate with a high degree of personal autonomy and accountability
• Design, implement, and appraise health care for older people that ensures quality, safety, and cultural responsiveness.
• Adapt to working in complex health environments whilst always acting within appropriate professional, ethical, and legal frameworks.
• Create effective and collaborative interdisciplinary relationships to facilitate implementation of holistic safe health care.

Your future career

As a graduate with a major in Gerontological Healthcare, you’ll fulfil the need for skilled healthcare professionals with an understanding of gerontological issues and complex needs of older people. You may provide comprehensive health care in acute, community or residential settings and assist older people to navigate life transitions in either the private or aged care sectors. Career options may include:

• Clinical Nurse
• Nurse Unit Manager
• Clinical Care Manager
• Physiotherapist – aged care or community
• Social Worker – aged care or community
• Occupational Therapist – aged care or community
• Facility manager