Pursuing a Career in Healthcare

¶ … Pursuing a Career in Healthcare Administration

Some people find caring for the elderly a burden. I know this from my own experiences, caring for my grandmother towards the end of her life. People would often approach me and say, 'how do you do it?' But to me it was a privilege, not simply because she was my grandmother (although that was undoubtedly part of my joy in caring for her) but also because it was such an honor to see a wise woman coming to the end of her life. It was a joy, but often a difficult joy, not because of her physical difficulties, but because I found I frequently had to act as her advocate, to gain her the best quality of care within the framework of the American healthcare system.

Caring for an elderly person should be the primary focus of a family, not worrying about getting their loved one affordable or adequate care. I have resolved to make the burden of future families going through what I have gone through easier, for there is no family that will go untouched by the inevitable process of aging. In my future role as a health care administrator, I would like to help others experience the joy of spending time with an elderly loved one, without worrying about finances or the competency of health care staff. This freedom from concern is becoming increasingly rare in today's bureaucratic system of health care.

This role as an administrator is not simply one that would satisfy my search for personal meaning in life, but one would help society. America is growing older, and the children of elderly parents are becoming pressed for time so they cannot care for their mothers and fathers alone, and families often find themselves short of funds. My dream is to one day own and manage a chain of assisted living communities and nursing homes that would improve the current state of eldercare. I wish to make quality care affordable, and create a better quality of life for the older members of the community with better medical assistance and also enriching activities.

From what I have witnessed as my grandmother's care taker, I have come to believe that an efficient and well-trained staff is essential. Having standardized training and staff quality assurance is critical in providing a competent care experience, in my vision of the future of eldercare. Family members must feel that they have left a loved one in the hands of someone who they can trust to take care of their mother or father. Of course, I know there are still many bureaucratic obstacles to overcome in the eldercare field, so that insurance will assume an adequate level of support to care for individuals at the end of their lives. Often maintaining a facility is difficult, even for the most committed individual, and I wish to gain greater financial awareness of how to make my dream a reality. I believe a graduate school education would make me better prepared to adapt to future needs in the industry, as changes are sure to come in health care financing and healthcare insurance coverage of medical procedures.