Geriatrics

Geriatrics is a medical specialty mentioned in the EU Directive 2005/36/EC.

preventative methods in healthcare of elderly people
geriatric medicine
treatment of conditions occurring in old age
health care of elderly people

knowledge

cross-sector

Geriatrics is an essential knowledge of the following occupations:

Physiotherapist: Physiotherapists are autonomous health professionals who are responsible for developing, maintaining or restoring motor function and movement throughout the lifespan using evidence-based practice. They relieve pain and treat or prevent physical conditions associated with injury, disease or other impairments. Physiotherapists empower patients and their carers to manage the condition outside clinical settings. They work within their scope of practice and their professional Code of Conduct. 
Occupational therapist: Occupational therapists assist individuals or groups who have occupational limitations due to diseases, physical disorders, and temporary or permanent mental disabilities, in regaining their ability to perform daily activities. They provide treatment and rehabilitation to enable them to actively participate in society, to live their lives according to their wishes and to perform those activities that are meaningful to them.
Gerontology social worker: Gerontology social workers provide assistance to elderly individuals and their families helping them to cope with their biopsychosocial needs. They help connecting the elderly with community resources by gathering information about the array of services available to them. Gerontology social workers assess their clients’ needs, functional capacity and health problems and liaise with medical professionals when necessary.
Music therapist: Music therapists use music-therapeutic interventions to treat patients with behavioural disorders and pathogenic conditions to prevent, mitigate or eliminate symptoms and to change behaviours and attitudes requiring treatment. They promote and maintain or restore the development, maturity and health of the patient/client by music-therapeutic interventions. Music therapy especially provides help for people with with emotional, somatic, intellectually or socially induced behavioural disorders and pathogenic conditions, such as psychoses (schizophrenic disorders, bipolar disorders) and personality development disorders.
 
Chiropractor: Chiropractors are responsible for the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disorders related to the neuromusculoskeletal system and the effects of these disorders on general health. They are independent primary health care professionals.
Nurse responsible for general care: Nurses responsible for general care are in charge of promoting and restoring patients` health by providing physical and psychological support to patients, friends, and families. They also supervise assigned team members.
Specialist chiropractor: Specialist chiropractors have an advanced knowledge and understanding in a specific chiropractic area, acquiring complex decision making skills and clinical competency within the scope of the chiropractic profession. Specialist chiropractors may have undertaken an advanced course of studies to acquire the necessary skills and competency and qualification. Specialist chiropractors may be found in different specific fields such as education, functional neurology, orthopaedics, paediatrics, research, radiology, sport.
 

Geriatrics is optional for these occupations. This means knowing this knowledge may be an asset for career advancement if you are in one of these occupations.

Medicine lecturer: Medicine lecturers are subject professors, teachers, or lecturers, and often doctors who instruct students who have obtained an upper secondary education diploma in their own specialised field of study, medicine, which is predominantly academic in nature. They work with their university research assistants and university teaching assistants for the preparation of lectures and of exams, for grading papers and exams, for leading laboratory practices, and for leading review and feedback sessions for the students. They also conduct academic research in their respective field of medicine, publish their findings and liaise with other university colleagues.
Social worker: Social workers are practice-based professionals who promote social change and development, social cohesion, and the empowerment and liberation of people. They interact with individuals, families, groups, organisations and communities in order to provide various forms of therapy and counselling, group work, and community work. Social workers guide people to use services to claim benefits, access community resources, find jobs and training, obtain legal advice or deal with other local authority departments.
Audiology technician: Audiology technicians create and service hearing aids and hearing protection products. They dispense, fit and provide hearing aids for those who need them.
Dietetic technician: Dietetic technicians assist dietitians in planning nutritional programmes and in planning menus for patients as part of an overall treatment plan under supervision of a dietitian. Under supervision of a dietitian, dietetic technicians assist dietitians in patient reviews, enteral feeding discharge planning, and clinical auditing which includes nutritional screening.
Auxiliary nursing and midwifery vocational teacher: Auxiliary nursing and midwifery vocational teachers instruct students in their specialised field of study, auxiliary nursing and midwifery, which is predominantly practical in nature. They provide theoretical instruction in service of the practical skills and techniques the students must subsequently master. Auxiliary nursing and midwifery vocational teachers monitor the students’ progress, assist individually when necessary, and evaluate their knowledge and performance on the subject of auxiliary nursing and midwifery through assignments, tests and examinations.
Occupational therapy assistant: Occupational therapy assistants support occupational therapists by working with people and communities to enhance their ability to engage in the occupations they want to, need to, or are expected to do, or by modifying the occupation or the environment to better support their occupational engagement. They work under the supervision of an occupational therapist.

 
Nurse assistant: Nurse assistants provide basic patient care under direction of nursing staff. They perform duties such as feed, bathe, dress, groom, move patients or change linens and may transfer or transport patients.

Dietitian: Dietitians assess specific nutritional requirements of populations or individuals throughout their lives and translate this into advice which will maintain, reduce risk to, or restore people’s health. Using evidence-based approaches, dietitians work to empower individuals, families and groups to provide or select food which is nutritionally adequate, safe, tasty and sustainable. Beyond healthcare, dietitians improve the nutritional environment for all through governments, industry, academia and research.
Specialised doctor: Specialised doctors prevent, diagnose and treat diseases depending on their medical or surgical specialty.
Psychotherapist: Psychotherapists assist and treat healthcare users with varying degrees of psychological, psychosocial, or psychosomatic behavioural disorders and pathogenic conditions by means of psychotherapeutic methods. They promote personal development and well-being and provide advice on improving relationships, capabilities, and problem-solving techniques. They use science-based psychotherapeutic methods such as behavioural therapy, existential analysis and logotherapy, psychoanalysis or systemic family therapy in order to guide the patients in their development and help them search for appropriate solutions to their problems. Psychotherapists are not required to have academic degrees in psychology or a medical qualification in psychiatry. It is an independent occupation from psychology, psychiatry, and counselling.
Healthcare specialist lecturer: Healthcare specialist lecturers are subject professors, teachers, or lecturers, and often doctors who instruct students who have obtained an upper secondary education diploma in their own specialised field of healthcare, which is predominantly academic in nature. They work with their university research assistants and university teaching assistants for the preparation of lectures and of exams, for grading papers and exams, for leading laboratory practices, and for leading review and feedback sessions for the students. They also conduct academic research in their respective field of specialist healthcare, publish their findings and liaise with other university colleagues.
Social services manager: Social services managers have the responsibility for strategic and operational leadership and management of staff teams and resources within and or across social services. They are responsible for the implementation of legislation and policies relating to, for example, decisions about vulnerable people. They promote social work and social care values and ethics, equality and diversity, and relevant codes guiding practice. They are responsible for liaising with other professionals in criminal justice, education and health. They can be responsible for contributing to local and national policy development.
Audiologist: Audiologists assess, diagnose and treat patients ( children or adults) with audiological and vestibular disorders caused by infectious, genetic, traumatic or degenerative conditions, such as hearing loss, tinnitus, dizziness, imbalance, hyperacusis and auditory processing difficulties. They can prescribe a hearing aid and have a role in assessing and managing patients who may benefit from cochlear implants. 
 
Healthcare assistant: Healthcare assistants work together in a team with registered nurses within the occupational fields of nursing, care and maintenance of people of all age-groups in all diverse acute care settings as well as in primary care environments.
Elderly home manager: Elderly home managers oversee, plan, organise and evaluate the provision of elderly care services for people who are in need of these services due to the effects of ageing. They manage the elderly care home and supervise the activities of the staff.
Recreational therapist: Recreational therapists offer treatment to persons who have behavioural disorders or conditions. They use techniques and interventions such as art, music, animals and dance to promote, maintain and restore the development and health of the patient.

References

1. Geriatrics – ESCO