Do you enjoy going to the movies or checking out a museum? Or do you sometimes prefer to stay in and prepare a home-cooked meal? Do you appreciate companionship and take pleasure in helping others? If the answer is yes to any of these questions, then FirstLantic may have just found a new job opportunity for you. That’s right – you can get paid to do the things that you love and perhaps make a new friend in the process.

 

For many boomers, who are not ready to retire completely, they are starting encore careers as caregivers or paid companions. According to research by AARP, nearly 90 percent of seniors want to stay in their own homes as they age and the home healthcare industry is struggling to find workers to meet the demands for their services. Boomers are now helping to fill that void. Not only does it provide them with extra income and a flexible schedule, but it also gives them an opportunity to meet new people. And seniors caring for seniors is going to become even more necessary as the demographics of our society shift. In fact, by 2030, all baby boomers will be older than age 65 and 1 in every 5 residents will be retirement age. There is also something comforting when care is being provided by someone of a similar age. As Jeff Bevis, CEO of FirstLight Homecare states, “What we have seen first-hand is that there is something about seniors caring for other seniors. They are often more compassionate and more patient, maybe because, in some cases, they are near the same age”. Like many other healthcare companies, FirstLight is actively recruiting older employees and almost 20% of their workforce is now over 65.

 

In addition to caregiver jobs, there are other opportunities to serve seniors as well. For example, some older Americans prefer to move to independent or assisted living communities where there is more social interaction. But the choices can be overwhelming, so they often look to professionals to help them find the best solution for this next phase of their life. Companies like LiveWell Placements, which is a division of FirstLantic, have senior care consultants that specialize in taking the stress out of the process and finding a living situation that meets all of their client’s needs. Again, this is another career opportunity for seniors to help other seniors.

 

So, whether you are considering a new job, or are thinking about getting back into the workforce after retirement, jobs within the healthcare field can be extremely rewarding and also provide you with additional income May is officially Older American’s Month and it’s the perfect time to consider your options. For more information on career opportunities, visit FirstLantic Healthcare’s careers page.