Short Term Training for Long Term Care |
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July 3, 2006
by JJ Singh
jj.singh@healthcare-programs.com
Healthcare Programs Columnist
Working with elderly people can be both gratifying and rewarding. If you're interested in a career in senior care, there are many options from which to choose.
Senior Care
Senior care is more that just comforting elderly people when they are sick or facing a life-threatening illness; it's about relationships. There are many ways to enter into a career in senior care; there is no one direct route. You can choose from any of the following career paths:
- Nursing Aid. Assist patients and the nursing staff by serving meals, making beds, and helping patients with daily routines such as dressing and bathing.
- Psychiatric Aid. Support the psychiatric staff by caring for the mentally impaired. You will have the opportunity to organize recreational and educational activities.
- Recreational Therapist. Energize the elderly population by providing opportunities for creative expression, team work, exercise, and mental stimulation.
Short Training for Long Term Care
Long term care employers prefer to hire educated workers. When choosing a program of study, select one that teaches you core sciences, long term care procedures, and gives you hands-on experience.
If you are interested in recreational therapy, you should become certified through the National Council for Therapeutic Recreational Certification. In addition to a bachelor's degree you must pass the written certification exam and have 480 hours of internship experience--be sure to choose a program that helps place you in that internship.
Working with the elderly is respected and rewarding. The right training can help you build relationships for a gratifying career.
Sources
National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
About the Author
JJ Singh recently returned from South America where he encountered and wrote about innumerable health issues as a Peace Corps Volunteer. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia.
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