General Career Information
Working With The Boomers

Summary More older Americans equals more healthcare job opportunities. The time is right for a career in this industry.

Modern technology and medicine have added years to people's lives, keeping them alive longer as well as improving their quality of life. As a result, the healthcare industry is one of the major growth areas in employment. The increase in the population of older Americans not only expands the demand for healthcare in general, but also for services specific to these age groups.

A few examples:

• Many Baby Boomers, hot on the healthy exercise and fitness trend, now experience problems with joints, feet, legs and backs. This increases the need for sports medicine professionals, physical therapists, chiropractors and more.
• As people hit their 40s, eyesight begins to change. According to one health-conscious Baby Boomer who had always read the ingredients on food packages in the supermarket, "All of the sudden, my arms were not long enough to read the print." Some start having problems with diseases such as glaucoma. These situations increase the need for ophthalmologists, optometrists, opticians and their support staff.
• Hearing also starts to deteriorate as people get older. Perhaps their parents were right when they told them not to listen to their music so loud or stand directly in front of speakers at a rock concert. Whatever the reason, everyday conversation may start sounding muffled, like everyone is mumbling. This increases the need for audiologists.
• In an effort not to get old and stay as healthy as possible, many Baby Boomers practice preventive medicine. They try to eat better, take dietary supplements, exercise and get regular checkups. This increases the need for doctors, specialists, technicians, technologists, dietitians, exercise specialists, trainers and more.

Getting Older

For many, getting older is a state of mind. For most, it's a state of being. The only thing everyone agrees upon is that getting older sure beats the alternative.

The graying of the Baby Boomer generation as well as the continued aging of seniors is good news both to those who work in the healthcare industry and those aspiring to enter the field. There is no better time than the present to find a healthcare job and career.

It's interesting to note that no matter what area of healthcare you want to work in, there is usually a geriatric component (be aware you may need additional training).

Some examples include:

Physicians (Geriatricians)
Gerontologist
Nurses
Dentists
Nutritionists
Podiatrists
Therapists
Technologists
Healthcare Facility Administrators
Home Healthcare Aides
Social Workers
Recreation Therapists
Suicide Counselors

The increase of seniors has also created a number of newer careers including geriatric assessment coordinators, adult daycare workers and geriatric case managers.

These jobs, like many other healthcare careers, can be located in institutional settings, agencies, home healthcare situations, retirement communities, senior citizen centers and as independent practitioner services.

As this generation continues to age, the field of geriatrics will offer more and more career opportunities, including everything from research and preventive medicine to actual care giving.

Shelly Field is the author of Career Opportunities in Health Care and The Unofficial Guide to Hot Careers.