As you move forward through your education, some people know right away what their career path will be and take courses throughout high school and college to pursue that goal; while others may not have the same clarity for their career choice and therefore need to explore the many options to find their perfect fit.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that from 2016-2026 out of the ten fastest growing occupations in the United States, five of them are in the healthcare field. One healthcare profession that is growing is caring for the elderly. In this specialized profession job opportunities are in high demand, there is more job security and it also offers job diversity.
A career in aging often stems from personal experience with the elderly; perhaps due to a person caring for an elderly family member in their past. In 1992, New York State was the only state that reported healthcare as their largest employer, while the rest of the United States reporting manufacturing and retail jobs as their largest employer. However, by 2013 healthcare jobs were reported to be the biggest employer in thirteen U.S. states. The reason for this increase was due to baby boomers (those born in the 1940’s and ’50’s) who are entering retirement age and in many cases are requiring more medical care.
To meet this increase in demand, it requires more healthcare professionals to properly care for their needs. Therefore, a career in aging will offer the healthcare professional more job security as well as providing them various skill levels for their career. As you work in the aging field you can continually build your skills with continuing education and acquire new credentials to help you move up the career ladder.
For example, you can start your healthcare career in aging by becoming a Certified Nursing Assistant (C.N.A.) then by utilizing a tuition reimbursement program such as the one offered by Palm Garden Healthcare, you can get educational assistance along with flexible work schedules to go back to school to become a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) or a Registered Nurse (RN)! Once you have obtained an RN degree you can then continue to grow your career within our organization by receiving special training and certification to become a Wound Care Nurse or MDS Coordinator (who forms and implements individual care plans for residents in skilled nursing centers), or even continue to grow into nurse management opportunities!
According to the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education and the Gerontological Society of America, there will be approximately 15 million people over the age of 85 by 2050 and not all of these will be in poor health. Therefore, a career in aging will also allow you to work with active and healthy older adults as well! If nursing is not your forte’ then you can also consider these other healthcare career opportunities with the elderly:
- Recreational therapist
- Social Worker
- Physical, Occupational Therapist (and assistants)
- Speech Language Pathologist
- Support staff positions such as HR Manager or Business Office Manager
All these opportunities, plus career growth opportunities are available to you when you consider a career in aging (or in skilled nursing), such as Palm Garden Healthcare provides in our communities throughout the State of Florida!
Explore our rewarding career opportunities today at www.palmgarden.com/careers or by stopping by one of our beautiful skilled nursing centers near you!
Palm Garden Healthcare…Unique, Different, Special, Elite! We Are Palm Garden and we’ve been expecting you!
References:
Benson, Jeff. (no date). Jobs Working With The Elderly. Degrees & Careers in Aging. https://www.affordablecollegesonline.org/college-resource-center/careers-working-with-the-elderly/