Giving Back to the COMMUNITY

The combination of the increase in life expectancy of our senior population and the aging baby boomers calls for a dramatic need in the number of geriatric health specialists to provide care for the older adults, whether in hospitals, long-term care facilities, or in their own homes.

Jackie Verdoorn,our owner and director, realizes how critical this problem is, and she is doing her part to raise the level of awareness of this geriatric specialty for nursing professionals. She participates in various career fairs organized by the local universities. Educational handouts are specifically developed for these events. They focus on additional specialized training programs, advantages of working in this specialized field, the differences in working with the geriatric population, and additional information on geriatrics nursing. Additionally, she will be a guest on a couple of speaker panels for the nursing programs next year, again to raise the level of this unique specialty and inform nursing students of the various programs and agencies available in the community.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics confirms that there will be a great demand for certified nurse aides, particularly those interested in geriatrics, as the baby boomer population is aging and will require specialized care. In fact, the BLS reports that by the year 2016, the hiring of certified nurse aides with CNA training will increase by more than 28 percent. Therefore, Jackie is also working with the various local business and vocational colleges, who offer these types of programs. She participates in their career fairs, again with the same objective as in the nursing career fairs. Educational handouts are also specifically developed for these specialties in working with the geriatric population.