Career Profile: Long-Term Care Administrator

Why Is a Long-Term Care Administrator a Job of Tomorrow?
The demand for long-term care administration is expected to continue to rise well into the next decade as baby boomers reach their senior years. The elderly make up about 13 percent of the total population, and this number is projected to increase to 18 percent by 2030, according to the College of Health Sciences and Professions at Ohio University. These expanding numbers demonstrate the need for more nursing homes and administrators to run them. Employment positions for administrative and management jobs, including long-term care administrators, are expected to rise 12 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

What Does a Long-Term Care Administrator Do?
Long-term care administrators provide assistance and attention to those elderly people who cannot function independently. Many long-term care administrators operate nursing home facilities that house, care for and entertain senior citizens, providing them with a comfortable living situation and proper health care guidance. Long-term care administrators have a variety of responsibilities, including handling the residents' medicinal requirements, creating and implementing facility policies, processing admissions to the facility and handling the financial aspects of running a nursing home or assisted living establishment.

What Kind of Training Do I Need to Become a Long-Term Care Administrator?
Long-term care administrators must hold a master's degree in health administration to work professionally. The degree must be awarded from an accredited program. Courses in the master's programs typically cover general and financial management, public health, and medical laws and ethics. This allows program graduates to leave with the in-depth knowledge and skills necessary to successfully run an assisted living facility.