What Does it Take to Work in the Assisted Living Industry?

The senior living industry is one of the fastest-growing industries in the USA, with a forecasted 1.2 million employees need by 2025. This makes it a great industry for people who are looking for a career that’s in high demand, but there’s much more to working in this industry than just having valuable skills. Here are some insights into what it takes to thrive in this industry, from our assisted living team in Gloucester County.

What Roles are Available in the Assisted Living Industry?

 Assisted living communities are all about teamwork, so a wide range of roles and specialists are needed to work together to provide a high-quality living experience. These roles can include:

• Personal care – Certified nursing assistants, orderlies and personal attendants who assist with tasks of daily living (grooming, bathing, eating, dressing, etc.) and (depending on role) medical assistance (medication management, wound care, monitoring, etc.)
• Medical teams – Headed by a Medical Director who oversees medical care, this team can include Registered Nurses, therapists, wellness specialists and doctors.
• Administrative staff – This team oversees the administrative side of the community, including day-to-day-management and the co-ordination of all the different departments.
• Housekeeping and maintenance staff – From laundry and janitorial services to maintaining the grounds and buildings, these staff departments play a critical role in keeping the facility safe, attractive and functional.

Why Working in Assisted Living is So Rewarding

Every day is different – While routines and schedules are part of a well-organized community, there is plenty of variety in every role, especially in caregiving. Caregivers need to thrive on new challenges and have to have a flexible approach to their work, but you’ll never get bored.

• You learn a lot – Caregivers and assistants have to have a lot of training to take on these roles, so you get plenty of opportunities to increase your skills. Your on-the-job experience will be full of variety too, as you have to assist seniors with a wide range of physical and mental health conditions.
• Your co-workers are a team – It’s common for most organizations to refer to their employees as a team, but nowhere is this more true than in assisted living. Your co-workers have a unique understanding of what this job takes and everyone joins in to support each person whether it’s a good or a bad day.
• You get to connect with residents – Unlike in medical facilities where patients come and go every few days, assisted living means residents are generally here for the long-term. This is something that many staff members love, as they get to form close relationships with different residents and their families, and share each other’s stories and lives.
• The work is meaningful – Even on the toughest day, the work you do makes a real difference in someone’s life. Working with seniors is very fulfilling and having the opportunity to care for people, assist them in their daily tasks and bring companionship into their lives is very satisfying!

Visit Our Warm and Welcoming Assisted Living Community in Gloucester County

 Pitman is an assisted living community in Gloucester County, NJ, offering high quality, scalable assisted living services in a comfortable, well-supported and beautiful environment.

As part of the United Methodist Communities network, we also offer rehabilitation, access to therapists, hospice care, respite care and memory care and support services. We welcome seniors from all faith backgrounds.

To find out more about our assisted living community, please visit our website at https://umcommunities.org/pitman/ contact us today or book a personal tour.