With the advancements in medicine and technology, the baby boomer generation will have the ability to live much longer than our ancestors. Because of, this growing population of seniors, it creates a demand for geriatric social workers. Recently, the Chicago Tribune highlighted this trend and offered insight into where the industry stands at this current juncture.
By the year 2030, 20% of the American population will be above the age of 65. Most of these individuals will need the aid of a social worker in order to fully enjoy their lives. As the demand grows, so does the supply of geriatric workers. In the past, most social workers were unaware of the need for senior care and opted to work with families and/or children. Colleges are now offering degrees for social workers in Gerontology.
As the demand for senior care increases in the coming years, so does the demand for jobs in the industry. Right at Home franchisees employ caregivers to meet this growing demand.
Baby boomers increase the need for geriatric social workers
Since their birth in record numbers in the years following World War II, baby boomers have impacted all facets of society from housing to education. As this generation approaches its sunset years, it will continue to have great impact, in particular in health care and aging issues. By 2030, one out of five Americans will be over the age of 65. It is estimated the country will need 70,000 social workers that specialize in aging by 2020.
“It was estimated in 2003 that 4 percent of social workers go into professional practice with older adults upon their graduation,” says Dr. Adrian Kok, Chair of Gerontology and Research Curriculum, Graduate School of Social Work at Dominican University. “The interest in working with older adults was not particularly high then because the majority of social workers prefer to work with children and their families. Based on these statistics, there will be a projected shortage of social workers to meet the accompanying increase of older adults in the population.”
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