Nursing Home Administrators

This is a field to watch. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, employment of medical and health service managers is expected to grow by 18 percent, much faster than the average, through 2028. Much of the anticipated employment opportunities will be at nursing homes and other residential facilities.

One reason for this demand will be the increased number of seniors. The U.S. Census Bureau projects there will be approximately 83.7 million older persons, those age 65 years or older, by 2050. This age group began growing dramatically in 2010, when the baby boom generation (those born from mid-1940 to mid-1960) started to gradually attain senior status.

People are also living longer than ever before due to improvements in medical care and healthier lifestyles. As life expectancies rise, many families are presented with the unique situation of caring for their elderly parents, and sometimes their grandparents, while raising their own young families.

Another reason nursing home facilities and those who work in them will be in demand is our mobile society. People relocate today much more than in generations past, often moving away from their original homes for better employment opportunities. It is not uncommon for the elderly to have no immediate family members living close by. The primary reason many senior citizens enter nursing homes is their inability to care for themselves due to chronic illness or advanced age. According to a study conducted by Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, the "typical" nursing home resident's stay is two and a half years. As the number of people requiring round-the-clock medical attention increases, so will the need for more nursing home facilities. This, in turn, will fuel a demand for qualified nursing home administrators.