Today personal and global ageing are intertwined. We live in an ageing population where our own experiences are very much part of these changes in society. It is estimated that in the coming years the number of people over the age of 65 years living in the UK will overtake the number under the age of 16 years and that increases in life expectancy will mean that more people will live into advanced old age.
Ageing and later life are both exciting and growing areas of study and practice. Learning about adult lives whether out of personal interest or as a practitioner can be very rewarding.
How do we understand ageing? This is a truly multidisciplinary area of study raising many questions. How does socio-economic status affect health and wellbeing? What will this mean for the decisions that are made over where we live as we get older? Are attitudes to later life changing or is ageism embedded? As carers who may be relatives, friends or practitioners how do we make sure that the lives of older people who come to be service users take centre stage? And how does the experience of living this later life contribute to end-of-life care?
All our courses draw on research and in the area of ageing and later life our Centre for Ageing and Biographical Studies brings together expertise across research and teaching.
Qualifications and courses in ageing and gerontology/later life
We offer a range of flexible and accessible courses and qualifications that address the challenges of ageing and later life – starting from Level 1 (equivalent to year 1 of university study) through to Level 3 (final year undergraduate).
An introduction to health and social care (K101)
Adult health, social care and wellbeing (K217)
Death and dying (K260)
Adulthood, ageing and the life course (K319)