Careers Working with the Elderly

Audiologists are specialists who diagnosis and provide treatment for hearing and balance disorders related to problems with the ears. Typically work environments range from healthcare settings such as hospitals and clinics to educational environments like schools and universities. Clinical audiologists can concentrate in a variety of specialties including pediatrics, geriatrics, balance, implants, hearing aids, and other auditory processing issues. With the American population of older adults increasing, audiologists have increasing employment opportunities working with the elderly to prevent hearing loss, combat existing hearing problems, and provide better hearing assistance products such as aides and implants.

Certified Nursing Assistants or CNAs provide basic care to patients and assist them in daily activities they may have trouble doing on their own such as bathing and dressing. Although a CNAs responsibilities will change from setting to setting, you will often find them working in nursing homes, patient homes, and care centers for the elderly helping patients complete daily tasks.

Fitness instructors provide personalized training and lead group classes to help seniors meet their health goals. Often trained to effectively and safely work specifically with the elderly, fitness instructors help their clients feel youthful again by combining behavioral change, motivation, nutrition, and physical training to lose or gain weight, build overall strength, and increase stamina.

Home health aides are trained to assist the elderly in their homes by helping with daily tasks like bathing, cooking, driving, and household chores. Home health aide duties may include monitoring patients and observing physical and mental health, teaching patients to care for themselves, helping family members care for patients in appropriate and safe ways, maintaining a safe and secure patient environment, and recording patient information.

LPNs/LVNs work under the direction of a medical doctor helping to administer basic health care to patients. Half of all LPNs/LVNs work in nursing facilities, elderly homes, or in home healthcare and perform a variety of functions from maintaining patient records to assisting with bathing, dressing and eating.

Occupational therapists are specialists who treat injured, ill, disabled, or elderly patients through the therapeutic use of everyday activities. They help patients develop, recover, and improve the skills needed for daily living and working. Therapists help patients doing daily tasks like washing, dressing, cooking, and eating. Occupational therapists working in geriatrics can change home environment’s for elderly patients in such a way that they can manage their routines without as much trouble.

Patient advocates for the elderly work to coordinate communication between patients, family members, medical professionals, administrative staff, and health insurance companies to ensure that patients are receiving the best possible healthcare services. Advocates are responsible for identifying care problems, making referrals to appropriate healthcare services, directing patient questions and complaints, explaining policies, assisting patients in choosing doctors, discussing treatment options, and even accompanying patients to doctor appointments.

Personal care aides are much like home health aides, however, personal care aides work for public and private agencies or are hired directly by a clients’ family and are not required to have any medical training or certification. There is no specific education or training needed to become a personal care aide, just a dedication to the proper care of their patient. While certification is offered, it is not mandatory and work is generally supervised by a licensed medical professional such as a nurse or social worker.

Physical therapists diagnose and treat patients who have health conditions that limit their ability to move and perform everyday activities. Geriatric physical therapists help elderly patients achieve the highest degree of physical health and mobility possible by focusing on ailments like arthritis, osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s, and joint problems. Therapists may design custom exercise plans that work to keep the patient as physically fit and active as possible.

Registered nurses who specialize in geriatrics work with elderly patients to improve physical ailments associated with aging as well as mental ailments such as Alzheimer’s and dementia. RNs working in geriatrics may have a general nursing degree or may hold advanced degrees or certification in geriatric nursing. Work environments include hospitals, nursing homes, retirement communities, and assisted living facilities and specific responsibilities will differ from facility to facility.

Rehabilitation counselors help people with emotional and physical disabilities live more independently. They work with the elderly to overcome and mange the personal, social, and professional effects of aging and related disabilities. This role often combines psychological counselling and advocacy to help restore a patients mental or physical health.

Geriatric social workers work closely with medical and health professionals such as psychiatrists, psychologists, therapists, physicians, and nurses to help elderly clients improve their lives by managing mental health conditions, reducing daily stress, and coping with illnesses. Tasks include addressing personal, social, and environmental challenges that arise as people age and helping patients find solutions to the mental and social complications associated with aging.

Learn more about becoming a social worker on our Social Work Degrees page.

Speech pathologists and therapists who work with the senior population help their patients regain their speech or correct faults which lead to speech irregularities. They may also help others speak more efficiently and accurately and understand verbal communication from others. Speech pathologists usually work in healthcare facilities and see patients directly for speech therapy sessions.