SENIORS CARING FOR SENIORS
As the American population continues to age and the average life span increases, is it any surprise that caregivers are also older than ever before? Demand for elder care services provided by nurses’ aides, home health aides and companion have created a new employment opportunity for other senior citizens who may have retired from their previous careers or are in the later stage of their professional medical careers.
According to Fox News Latino Fox News Latino, “among the overall population of direct-care workers, 29 percent are projected to be 55 or older by 2018, up from 22 percent a decade earlier, according to an analysis by the Paraprofessional Healthcare Institute, or PHI, a New York-based nonprofit advocating for workers caring for the country’s elderly and disabled. In some segments of the workforce, including personal and home care aides, those 55 and older are the largest single age demographic.”
While some types of care require a relatively high degree of physical strength that might be beyond some older health care workers, there are other assets that might be desirable, such as a commonality in life experience. Often a home health care aides assist with simple tasks to give the primary caregiver a break or to assist a senior citizen who lives alone. Tasks may include helping dress a client, prepare meals, basic house cleaning, laundry or driving a client to appointments.
While there is a certain amount of physical and mental stamina required for this type of work, it can be a great way to feel a sense of purpose as well as supplement a retiree’s income. No doubt, seniors caring for seniors may become a growing trend.
If you need help determining what type of care is most suitable for yourself or your family member, please contact the knowledgeable staff at California Registry to help you find elder care services or an assisted living facility within California that is customized for situation.