Key Takeaways:
- Geriatric social work supervisors manage care programs, ensure compliance, and supervise care teams for older adults.
- Hospital executives oversee geriatric programs, focus on quality care, and manage staff and budgets.
- Program care directors plan and promote geriatric services, conduct outreach, and provide training and support.
Graduates who have an MPA with a Gerontology Concentration are prepared to fill a variety of challenging positions. Graduates are ready to fill managerial and administrative MPA positions in gerontology related to supervision, policy analysis, facility management and health care corporation planning.
Geriatric social work supervisors provide, direct and coordinate care programs for older adults and geriatric patients. This may include intake assessments, collaborative care planning and evaluations of service effectiveness and documentation.
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They may oversee compliance monitoring activities regarding state and federal laws enforced by Departments of Health, Aging and Human Services. Geriatric social work supervisors oversee discharge processes, assessments and documentation. They supervise members of multidisciplinary care teams to insure proper delegation of appropriate tasks, the timely implementation of care plans and ongoing evaluation of patients’ progress. They direct professional practice activities related to employee development, performance improvement, the revision of existing standards and the incorporation of new standards into practices.
Hospital Executive
Hospital executives are responsible for the direction and leadership of geriatric programs. They focus on providing quality, compassionate and cost-effective care for older clients and their families. They oversee the development of programs and monitor operational outcomes to ensure continuous quality improvement. They provide supervision for geriatric nursing and clinical services by setting quality standards of care, providing referrals to community programs and maintaining education programs that focus on risk and health management. Hospital executives establish staffing schedules and patterns to accomplish objectives and provide top notch service. They oversee the hiring, training and development of geriatric care aids and nurses. They prepare and share executive records and reports regarding budgets, progress and performance.
Program Care Director
Geriatric program care directors plan, market, schedule and deliver programs related to community services, education opportunities, care consultation, support groups and training activities. They conduct timely and effective promotion and outreach initiatives in order to increase awareness and knowledge of geriatric care and support programs. They must identify and meet the needs of diverse older populations. They may focus on certain markets or demographics, such as Asian, rural or socioeconomically challenged clients. They may conduct outreach and education services for physicians and other health care providers. Geriatric program care directors provide training, resources and supervision to managers and administrators. They usually have experience in community outreach, education, coaching and consulting programs.
MPA in Gerontology Degrees
An MPA in gerontology degree program will train students to enter managerial roles in various human service and health care settings. They will study demographic phenomena and gain a comprehensive overview of current social, economic and demographic trends associated with older adults. They will understand politics, public policy, education backgrounds and health care needs of newer generations of older adults. This will help them with planning and forecasting future needs, markets, products and service delivery expectations. These programs examine issues related to aging, discrimination, retirement and economic challenges. Most programs train students about research methods in gerontology, which covers the application of qualitative and quantitative research methods, and health aging, which covers an integration of biomedical and psychosocial perspectives.
An MPA with a gerontology concentration will train students to work as policy and compliance analysts who work for private think tanks and government agencies. They will be tasked with analyzing adherence to Federal and State regulations. They will also provide recommendations related to more effective and comprehensive provisions and standards.
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