What positions are available in senior caregiving?

Anyone who has compassion for seniors and is willing to learn about caring for someone coping with age-related diseases, such as Alzheimer's Disease or Parkinson's Disease, can work as a companion caregiver for a senior, assisting them in their homes or in assisted living communities.

What other skills are necessary? 

• Dependability
• Physical Agility
• Friendly Personality
• Team Player

If you are interested in providing more hands-on care for seniors, including assisting with dressing, bathing, toileting and physical exercises, you may be employed as a Certified Nursing Aide (C.N.A.) after successfully graduating from a nursing aide training program and passing the state exam.

Each state has requirements for classroom and field training for nursing aides and you may learn more about the C.N.A. training provided, take a sample C.N.A. test or practice C.N.A. test to see if you would be interested in the certification.

Nursing aides make a higher salary than companion caregivers and are in great demand by employers - from senior home care agencies to assisted living centers to nursing homes and hospitals and hospices.  You may apply for a senior caregiving position in your area to begin working in the senior care industry.  As seniors may be quickly discharged from a hospital and still need caregiving assistance, or family members discover more care is needed as a senior experiences memory loss, new caregiving jobs are constantly opening each day.