WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
Start Planning Now to Make the Most Of April’s Careers in Aging Week
By Sara Wildberger P
eople working in senior living and aging services often have this back- story: They hadn’t known about
the opportunities or the variety the field offers. They didn’t know they could even get a job right out of high school, or apply their experience from another field, or enjoy a lifelong career. And they hadn’t realized how rewarding it could be. Careers in Aging Week, April 5-11, 2020,
(#careersinaging) is one attempt to change that. The partnership effort with the Ge- rontological Society of America (GSA) is an annual awareness campaign to not only attract workers, but to change narratives around aging and ageism, writes Judie Lieu, GSA’s vice president of publishing and pro- fessional resources, in an email interview. The program has grown in breadth of
support; partners include American Health Care Association/National Center for As- sisted Living (AHCA/NCAL), American Seniors Housing Association (ASHA), Argentum and Senior Living Works, and LeadingAge. Participating is a way to showcase posi-
tive stories about your community and the people who work there—as well as to attract values-motivated job candidates. The program was started in the ear- ly 1990s by one of GSA’s membership sections, the Academy of Gerontology in Higher Education (AGHE), which is focused on supporting the development of experts working in the field of higher educa- tion. It began with colleges and universities hosting events to raise visibility about ca- reers in academics and research. The program has grown to encom-
pass not only higher education but high schools—highlighting careers and speaking to prospective workers of all kinds and all
Participants at the Public Policy Institute & Fly-In last March participated in the 2019 Careers in Aging Week campaign.
ages. “Careers in Aging Week is for busi- nesses, clinics, coalitions, organizations, uni- versities, colleges, and other parties across the world,” Lieu writes. “Careers in Aging Week is about trying
out new ideas and innovative approaches to improve how our society supports older people and responds to aging. Ultimately, it’s about ensuring that adults can be full members of society as they age.” GSA represents researchers, clinicians,
28 SENIOR LIVING EXECUTIVE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019
and educators in the aging field—and, like its partners, is committed to nurturing the next generation, Lieu writes. But she also points out that this is not simply a problem for the aging services field, but for the na- tion; referencing the landmark 2008 Insti- tute of Medicine (IOM) report, Retooling for an Aging America, which sounded an alarm of lack of preparation for the grow- ing population of older adults. “Yes, the U.S. population is aging as a re-
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