5 Fulfilling Reasons to Work in Elder Care
Are you considering a skilled nursing career? Find a meaningful career path as part of a dedicated team that provides ongoing care to aging adults. For starters, you’ll be fulfilling a community need as you compassionately help older adults living in a senior living facility with their day-to-day lives.
When you work in a senior living facility, you’re doing more than administering health care services. You’re serving an essential humanitarian role that hits a deeper vein, providing enrichment through usefulness that brightens the lives of our elder communities.
And while that’s something to feel good about, there are many more benefits. Here are five reasons why you should choose to work with seniors:
It’s an Opportunity to Connect with Human Beings
Human beings are social by nature. While we all have our individual preferences, we all need social connection on some level. If you are a compassionate, caring person who feels called to a life of service–senior care can provide all the feelings that you need. You may be surprised to learn that you’ll often build great relationships with many residents.
Seniors live in assisted living facilities for many reasons–age, physical ability, cognitive decline, and social opportunity. Some residents may be notably challenging or suffer from memory impairment, but that rarely stands in the way of building a connection with an empathetic person. The elderly often feel isolated and lonely and many eagerly appreciate an extra set of ears to hear their stories.
One indicator of a caring team is that the staff members often care for residents on a personal level, developing unexpected friendships. While there will be emotions and physical work involved in the job, it can all be offset by the smile from your favorite resident.
It’s a Fun Opportunity to Engage
Unlike a traditional hospital where patients are healing from illness, injuries, and surgeries–an elderly care environment has plenty of opportunities to just enjoy other human beings. Of course, there will be medical needs to attend to but the mix of activities provides a fun opportunity to engage with the residents and just live life. From playing games and helping residents express themselves with music and art to simply enjoying the wisdom and insights of an older mind, senior care provides a fun opportunity to engage with the resident community.
Access to Years of Wisdom
Have you ever heard a cliche about wisdom–something to the effect that things always look clearer in hindsight? The residents who live in senior facilities have decades of lived experience to share and many of them are perfectly lucid and able to communicate clearly. Nursing staff have a unique opportunity to socially bond with these residents, enjoying their personal anecdotes that truly hold quite a bit of wisdom.
Courtyard Gardens of Boynton Beach
Specializing in memory care, assisted living, and independent living with supportive services.
Your vibrant community will consist of other members who seek to enjoy an active and inspired next chapter of their lives, along with their friends.
It Feels Good to Make Someone Else Feel Good
Providing daily care for residents leads to plenty of opportunities to brighten their day. While you might believe that you’re doing that for their benefit, psychology studies show that you can get something out of it too. You can find examples proving this theory all over–from “Pay it Forward” campaigns to “Random Act of Kindness” day, we often sensationalize the feeling of ‘doing good’ or ‘being better humans’ because, deep down, it makes us feel good too. In time, you may form bonds that represent relationships you genuinely enjoy. These connections simply make work feel a lot less like work.
Your Job is Secure
The stress and emotional turmoil of losing a job puts anyone on edge and if you happen to work in an industry that lacks job security, you may recognize the volatility that comes with that territory. Luckily, senior care is not one of those examples. There is a great need for caring and compassionate workers in senior facilities with all skill levels. The senior population is large and many facilities struggle with staffing shortages. The demand gap between care needs and available workers ensures job security. This security can also lead to more opportunities for better pay and advancement throughout your nursing career.
Contact Courtyard Gardens to Learn More Today
Here at our Boynton Beach assisted living facility, we will stop at nothing to ensure that our residents are well taken care of. When you choose Courtyard Gardens senior living community to call home–for you, your loved one or your career; you’re making the right choice. Be part of a loving and caring community that provides the services our senior residents need the most. We are committed to providing quality care by supporting the well-being of our residents with friendly faces, compassionate care, and a tender hand. Contact us today to schedule a tour of our facilities and discuss your needs in greater detail.
