UNO's Gerontology Department Leading the Way in Shifting Perceptions of Aging and Death
The University of Nebraska Omaha’s Gerontology department is making strides to shift people's perceptions of aging and death. Professor Julie Masters, a leading expert in the field and the Terry Haney Chair of Gerontology at UNO, recently spoke at the 2023 LeadingAge Nebraska conference about the value of teaching students that aging and death are essential to life. You can listen to her interview with Experience Care’s Peter Murphy Lewis on the LTC Heroes podcast below:
According to Dr. Masters, America's youth-oriented culture makes it difficult to view aging in a positive light. “In the United States, to be beautiful means to be young, and to learn new technologies means to be young,” she said. “That’s why we have to work extra hard to show examples of older people who have adapted and mastered technology and the aging experience and show the opportunities of what it means to be an older person.”
That is why UNO’s Gerontology department makes it a priority to educate their students about Memento Mori, emphasizing the importance of acknowledging the finite nature of life and the need to be comfortable with the conversation about death. “What does it mean to find yourself within a finite period of time?” she asked rhetorically. “How will I live those days, weeks, or months in a way that's not only memorable to others but memorable to me as the person who's at the end of my life?”
Regarding long-term care for older people, Dr. Masters stresses the importance of changing people's perceptions by providing different long-term care options that support and care for older adults. “When we think about the end of life, instead of asking, ‘Do you want hospice care?’, which can make people nervous, we should approach it by asking, ‘How can we provide the best possible care that brings the most comfort and support?’” she said.
Dr. Masters and UNO’s other professors of Gerontology strive to open students’ minds to the nature of life itself in an effort to help them envision working in the field. “All my colleagues and I in the department of Gerontology in Omaha and Lincoln are encouraging our students to think about life and living in a different way, so they can see a potential path and a blossoming career or vocation of working with older adults,” she said.
In this way, UNO’s Gerontology department is leading the way in creating a new generation of professionals who understand and appreciate the complexities of aging, death, and long-term care.
Written by: The LTC Heroes Content Team