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Hello. I am going to be going back to school in the fall and for many years, I have worked in the medical field. I have always enjoyed working with the elderly in whatever job I have had, and I was a caregiver type from pretty early on.
In my work, I have been front office type. I had started going back to school a couple years ago for education. I have actually always wanted to teach. I started out in school going for Radiography and would then go further for MRI/CT but I had a writing teacher who decided I needed to be a teacher. She had no idea I always had wanted to do that.
After being in my Biology class, I decided that I loved it and that would be nice to teach. The state I was living in had a huge need for Science teachers.
I had to stop going to school and that was that, but now I will be starting back up. There are no teaching jobs here where I live, but for Special Education.
I know that I like to work with the elderly, so now I am looking for a career that is specific to them. I can stay in Medical, and that would be just fine, or I could do something else.
I don't know if there is even such a thing, but I want to do something dealing with Elder Advocacy. I have seen so many elderly people just disregarded and I think it really needs to change...
Any idea on a career out there geared towards helping the elderly?
Hello. I am going to be going back to school in the fall and for many years, I have worked in the medical field. I have always enjoyed working with the elderly in whatever job I have had, and I was a caregiver type from pretty early on.
In my work, I have been front office type. I had started going back to school a couple years ago for education. I have actually always wanted to teach. I started out in school going for Radiography and would then go further for MRI/CT but I had a writing teacher who decided I needed to be a teacher. She had no idea I always had wanted to do that.
After being in my Biology class, I decided that I loved it and that would be nice to teach. The state I was living in had a huge need for Science teachers.
I had to stop going to school and that was that, but now I will be starting back up. There are no teaching jobs here where I live, but for Special Education.
I know that I like to work with the elderly, so now I am looking for a career that is specific to them. I can stay in Medical, and that would be just fine, or I could do something else.
I don't know if there is even such a thing, but I want to do something dealing with Elder Advocacy. I have seen so many elderly people just disregarded and I think it really needs to change...
Any idea on a career out there geared towards helping the elderly?
I am not talking CNA in a nursing home..
Set your sites higher than this. My youngest is an LPN working towards her RN. When she gets her RN she has plans on staying at the nursing home and hopefully becoming the director of nursing. If you want to advocate for the elderly, being a D.O.N. will give you the location and the control to make things better for your residents.
As to a couple possible occupations mentioned. Being a physical therapist is a long process since it is now a doctorate program most everywhere. Great job, but the pay hasn't kept up to the tremendous cost of finishing the program. In social work, you will need at minimum a masters degree and maybe more just to find a job that pays well enough to make a living.
Nutritionist is a possibility. Don't know much about that field though.
Gerentology as a major or minor combined with something like social work or anything health related will get you where you want to go methinks.
That's what I was trying to think of. A local CC offers AS degrees in Gerontology while a local state univ offers an undegrad and a graduate degree in the subject.
I am going to be reading up on that. I talked to one of the counselors up at the cc yesterday, who I must say, was really of no help at all. Seems as though I can probably start out there and then transfer to another school for the rest.
As far as something like PT goes, I do not have the strength for something like that, but I am def going to look into the Gerontology route.
Talking with someone in the field of gerontology would be of great value - it would give you an idea of what qualifications are required and the employment prospects.
Set your sites higher than this. My youngest is an LPN working towards her RN. When she gets her RN she has plans on staying at the nursing home and hopefully becoming the director of nursing. If you want to advocate for the elderly, being a D.O.N. will give you the location and the control to make things better for your residents.
As to a couple possible occupations mentioned. Being a physical therapist is a long process since it is now a doctorate program most everywhere. Great job, but the pay hasn't kept up to the tremendous cost of finishing the program. In social work, you will need at minimum a masters degree and maybe more just to find a job that pays well enough to make a living.
Nutritionist is a possibility. Don't know much about that field though.
If your daughter wishes to be in a position to be of greatest good, she'll need at least a MBA/MSN (dual degree programs exist) and Gerontology certification unless it's a chain, then the almighty profit margin rules... The people caring for our elderly in nursing homes and other LTC facilities are too few in number and are paid barely minimum wage. If your daughter can effect a change in that, she will be truly blessed.
To the OP: It is hard for any college admissions counselor to be helpful when the student himself/herself isn't clear on what they want to do. That said, yes, get your general education courses started at the CC and then look at what you will need for your actual major - medical social work is growing, especially with the impending Affordable Care ACT implementation. There are Activity Coordinators, Physical Therapy or Occupational Therapy Assistant programs whose graduates are employed in nursing / long-term care facilities. In any case, good luck to you!
Last edited by mm_mary73; 07-02-2013 at 05:59 PM..
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