According to Franchise Help, the time to enter into a career in senior care is now. As the baby boomers generation begins to enter into their senior years, there will be an explosion in the senior population over the next half century. This boom will create the demand for individuals with skill sets in numerous different disciplines within the senior care industry. From now through 2050, it is expected that the senior population will grow exponentially, reaching 108 million. This will create a senior population that will be double what it was in 2000, and it will equate to approximately 20 percent of the total population in America.

A Demand for Skilled Professionals

It is clear that this increase in the senior population will certainly necessitate a demand for more senior care professionals in a number of different areas. This increase means that now is a great time to consider a career in the senior care field. To add a certain level of lucidity to the potential for building a career in this industry, consider the fact that in the late 2000s, there were in excess of 17,000 senior care providers that provided services for approximately 7.6 million seniors. With the exponential growth that has already begun, the number of providers will more than quadruple over the next 20 years. Currently, the annual revenue in the industry is at $57.6 billion, a significant jump from the $38.3 billion in 2003.

The Industry Background

The senior care industry has consistently gained momentum since it first picked up steam during the 1960s and 1970s, supported by government subsidies, such as Medicare, and the advent of agencies, such as the National Institute on Aging, which served to highlight the need for professional senior care. Until this time, senior care was primarily the responsibility of family members; however, senior advocates pointed to the fact that seniors could receive a higher quality of care when certain services were provided by people who had the skills to execute the responsibilities. During this same time, more women were moving into the workforce, meaning that there were fewer people at home to take care of seniors.

Over the next three and a half decades, the industry has grown steadily, and its greatest growth is expected over the next three and a half decades.

Wide Open Career Field

Currently, the career field in senior care is wide open. There will be a need in the field for every position and skill set, from doctors and nurses to administration and rehabilitation. While most people automatically visualize assisted living communities when senior care in mentioned, the truth is that the largest component of the senior care industry is home health care. The home health care industry can include medical and non-medical care, or a combination of the two. Medical care offers a wide variety of services, such as private nursing, assisting in rehabilitation, administering antibiotics and more. The most common health concerns among seniors needing home health care include heart disease, cerebral vascular disease and diabetes.

Senior Care Jobs

There are a number of positions that will be in constant demand in the senior care industry, and while all of the positions cannot be listed here, there are some worth mentioning.

As time progresses and the senior population continues to grow, the demand for health care professionals to care for these elderly individuals will increase exponentially, making the senior care industry a prime opportunity to establish a lifelong career.