Maybe you've always shown a special interest in older people. You treasure your grandparents or appreciate the wisdom and generosity of an older person in your community. Or maybe you're like many Americans who are concerned with the lives of the elderly and want to get involved. For whatever reason, you are considering a career in the aging services field, which includes nursing homes, assisted living facilities, continuing care retirement communities, senior housing, and home and community-based services.
Whether you're a student, seeking a career change or returning to work after some time away, choosing a career is certainly one of the most important decisions you make and one that requires careful consideration.
In your search for the right career, you're probably asking a lot of questions: What positions are available? What do they pay? What training is required? And the most important question: What do I want from my job, the activity that I'll spend a third or more of every day doing?
Careers in long-term care and senior housing combine an interest in helping others with a job that offers personal and professional growth, pride in achievement, unlimited opportunity plus a good salary.
It seems just about everybody is talking about the "graying of America." The number of people over age 65 is climbing at an accelerated pace. The fastest growing segment of today's society is the over-85 age group. What this means, of course, is that there is a growing need for qualified employees in the aging services field.
What are Your Talents? Your Interests?
Do you get satisfaction from helping people get and stay healthy? Maybe you have a way with people, numbers or computers. Perhaps you have a keen sense of what people like to do with their spare time. Maybe you like to cook, garden or tinker with machinery.
No matter what your special interests and talents are, there is an opening for you in a nursing home, senior housing facility, assisted living facility, retirement community, home care provider, or community service agency for the elderly.
If you're unsure about following a particular career path immediately, you may want to become a volunteer or participate in an internship first. Both avenues provide opportunities for you to test a career. Student interns and volunteers are needed throughout this field. Many professionals in homes for the aging began as volunteers or interns, or worked part-time in a home while going to school. People who work with older adults are usually asked to assist elders in meeting basic human needs, including health care, rehabilitation, recreation, and social or spiritual development.
Opportunities abound at a variety of levels. Some positions require only a high school diploma and on-the-job training. Generally, though, positions that involve special skills or supervising the work of others require more education and experience.
Organizations Representing Career Specialties in the Aging Services Field
These Web sites of associations representing careers in aging services have
information on certifications, education, and other training pertinent
to those fields.