Applied research questions abound regarding how to serve future generations of elderly and facilitate their pursuit of a quality life. Some family programs and services will begin to have a decidedly geriatric focus. Social service programs will need to develop and administer interviews aimed at collecting data related to the needs of our current and future generations of elderly. Agencies will need to develop strategies to answer these questions in quantifiable ways. For example, it will be necessary to demonstrate the direct and indirect impact of transportation programs for the elderly.
New programs require planning, pilot projects, training and ongoing evaluation.
You could be in the position of policy maker or program director, setting the course for future social service systems. This can also involve managing institutional change as agencies direct their efforts toward new problems and change and alter the way their systems function. New ideas most often require new money. State, federal, and private granting agencies will undoubtedly continue to have geriatrics as a priority area. You would be involved in writing sections of a grant such as methodology, data analyses, and evaluation or even the entire grant proposal, including a budget.