Long Term Care Professional
What Is A Long-Term Care Professional?
Long-Term Care professionals manage just about every aspect of sustained residential care for patients who are elderly or chronically ill. This includes business management, administrative duties, organization, staffing and patient care including medical treatment, counseling and especially nutrition. Full-time long-term patients rely on long-term care professionals for just about every aspect of their lives, creating a demand for competent, capable and empathetic individuals to run these facilities.
The populations of the US and Canada continue to age as the infamous baby boomer generation retires more each year. Demand for long-term care providers is expected to grow at an increasing rate over the coming decade, creating a need for more professionals than ever before. With this increased demand will also come increased responsibilities to care for an ever-growing, ever-aging population of long-term care patients. Health care is, after all a business, and the business of long-term care is growing faster than most every other field in North America. For our visitors interested in nutrition for the elderly, chronically ill or the organization and provision of nutrition at facilities providing these services, its possible that a degree in long term care is right for you. A long-term care degree provides graduates with the skills and tools to address issues such as patient care, increased costs, human resources, patient insurance and economic considerations and the provision of food and medications.
A degree in long-term care enables professionals to work in a variety of environments including the following:
- Nursing Homes
- Assisted Living Facilities
- Retirement Communities
- Hospice Facilities
- Mental Health Institutions
- Other Various Types of Managed Care Facilities
Nutrition & Long-Term Care
Part of the responsibilities of being a long-term care professional is providing patients with everything they need to become or remain as healthy as possible. For those who are interested in nutrition, dietetics and long-term managed care, a degree in long-term care could either be a way into the industry, or the perfect compliment to a nutrition degree or career in nutrition services. Many nutritionists and dietitians work in long-term care facilities, but may want to move to a more administrative role within the industry.
For visitors with a degree and/or experience in nutrition, dietetics or another closely related field who are interested in a career in managed care or who wish to advance their career in long-term managed care, Nutritionist-World has the following Long-Term Care degrees featured below. Request information and find a program that works best with your educational and career goals.
Long-Term Care & Gerontology
Gerontology is the study of the aging process from middle age until the later stages of life. Many patients of long-term care facilities are elderly, requiring specific treatment for ailments that affect only those who are at a certain stage of aging. Gerontologists are professionals that often work with senior citizens, focused on the mental, physical and social changes resulting in the increase of their age. Gerontology often includes nutrition as a large part of its study, as the nutrition of elderly patients becomes more and more important, both as a treatment and a preventative measure against the effects of aging as well as an increased susceptibility toward illness and injury.
Many schools listed on Nutritionist-World offer degrees in Gerontology. Request information from as many schools as you would like, compare degrees, and find the program and courses that best fit your specific career goals.
Long-Term Care Salary & Career Outlook
Long-term care facilities currently employ nearly 23 percent of all health care workers in the US. Over half of these work in specified managed-care nursing and retirement facilities for the elderly and chronically ill. Overall, these occupations are expected to grow by nearly 25 percent over the coming decade, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). That is one near employee for ever four currently working in the industry by 2018. Very few industries in North America are forecasted to grow this fast over the same period of time.
The health care industry boasts one of the highest percentages of four-year degree graduates and higher among its ranks. The vast majority of long-term managed care facility professionals hold at least a bachelors degree while many more hold a master’s or higher. Likewise, many of the highest salaries are paid to those with the at least a bachelors degree in long-term care or a related industry. Salaries for long-term care professionals vary greatly throughout the industry, but are very competitive and tend to be higher than the average for the region in which they are paid.
University of Phoenix CampusCampuses: Rogers | Rogers
Program: BS in Health Administration/Long Term Care
University of Phoenix CampusCampuses: Kapolei | Mililani
Program: BS in Health Administration/Long Term Care
University of Phoenix CampusCampuses: Chattanooga | Cordova
Program: BS in Health Administration/Long Term Care
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