3 Unexpected Benefits of Working Assisted Living Jobs
1. Experience and Education
If you’ve been thinking of getting into the healthcare field, you may feel a bit overwhelmed. Should you go to nursing school? Will you like the job? Working assisted living jobs can be enormously rewarding if you’re thinking about a job in healthcare but aren’t quite sure what to do. Nearly all assisted living communities will pay for CPR certification for their employees. Typically, an assisted living employer will support the employee in obtaining further certifications as well.
Employers such as BridgeWater give employees access to programs like Care Works. Apprenticeship programs like these allow you to work alongside other caregivers. They also pay for the classes and materials you’ll need to earn a Caregiver Certification. Lastly, the program—through the employer—pays you a wage for both your classes and the apprenticeship.
As the country’s aging population grows, caregivers are becoming more in demand. The low barrier to entry and the ability to train and expand your knowledge of many different areas of healthcare, make working in assisted living an excellent way to try your hand at healthcare. You get an opportunity to see what you like, see what you’re good at, and earn a wage and experience the entire time.
2. Feeling Like You Matter
Working in assisted living is different from working in a nursing home. Assisted living communities are home to a close-knit group of patients and caregivers. Spending quality time with the residents is an important part of your job. Whether you’re helping a resident wash her hair or organizing a senior’s yoga class, everything you do at work makes someone’s day better.
Everyone knows the feeling of being bored at work and how, after a while, it can start to feel like you don’t matter at all. Working as a caregiver presents an employee with new and meaningful challenges every day. You’ll never be a cog in a machine. You’ll bring your own skills and personality to your new job. No matter what you like or where your interests lie, there’s probably a resident who’s interested in the same things. Sports, sewing, politics, history, child-rearing—you’ll engage with and learn from the residents every time you interact.
3. Job Security
Assisted living is one field that will never go out of style. By 2050, folks over 65 will account for the majority of our population. The demand for experienced caregivers will only increase as time goes on. There are also innumerable chances to grow when you work in an assisted living organization. There are so many areas of expertise needed every day that looking for new challenges will never be a problem.
If you’re interested in working an assisted living job, the field offers opportunities for nearly all skill and education levels. You could begin work as an orderly and pursue additional education while being able to stay in your job. From executive directors to in-house physicians, there is really no limit to the growth you can achieve, all while staying at a stable job and a community full of camaraderie and care.