Careers in Aging April 4, 2017
Panelists: Suzanne Black, AARP Melannie Pate, Alzheimer s NC Audrey Marshal, Cape Fear Area Agency on Aging Veronica Lett, Elderhaus PACE Lauren Segur, Liberty Commons Rehabilitation Center Gayle Ginsberg, Senior Resource Center of New Hanover County Susan Glose, UNCW School of Nursing Hosted by Dr. Anne Glass, Gerontology Program Coordinator, and the GRN 101 Introduction to Gerontology class Interviews conducted by students in the GRN 440/540 Current Issues in Gerontology class In Celebration of Careers in Aging Week, April 2-7, 2017
Suzanne Black, Interviewed by Nicole Lott, 2017 Job title: AARP Associate State Director of Advocacy and Community Outreach How long have you been in this job? 17 years Why did you choose this job? o The opportunity for growth in aging. Their mission at AARP and social agenda and advocacy fit with my passion. I love what I do! Responsibilities (Just to name a few): o Written publications o Research o Recruiting volunteers and organizing events of all types o Work with AARP Foundation o Working with local elected officials o Small Business retirement program o Fraud Task Force o Caregiving workshops o Tax Aid for the state o HomeFit and CarFit programs o Liaison with UNCW Gerontology o Supporting LGBT advocacy Typical day (if there is such a thing!) o I am always doing something new and on the move lots of balls to juggle! For example, I have been working on veteran programs and on a wide variety of forums. What education did you have to prepare you for this this job? o A gerontology master s degree, business minor o Undergraduate sociologist What education do you wish you had received or would like now? o I have thought about getting a PhD or MBA and still might because there is always enough time to go back to school!
Melannie Pate, Interviewed by Hannah Killgore, 2017 Job Title: Program director with Alzheimer s NC, which is a nonprofit statewide organization that focuses on education and advocacy. How long have you been in this job? 6 years Why did you choose this job: Both grandmothers lived with my family growing up and they had Alzheimer s so it seemed normal. I was always around older people and saw a huge need for younger people to get into the field of gerontology. I interned at an art museum and met an executive member of Alzheimer s NC and later received the position I have now. Responsibilities: I go and plan education programs within the community to educate caregivers and professionals on how to deal with individuals with Alzheimer s. Keeping up with changes in the field is a crucial part of my job and it can be difficult to keep up with as the field is always changing. I am frequently learning new techniques. Typical day (if there is such a thing!): I work with staff in facilities that need training (feeding, communication, non pharmacological help). It can take 2-4 hours, it all depends, sometimes I m alone, sometimes I m with another person from Alzheimer s NC. It is very hands-on. We actually train many law officers too. On other days, it s more planning and administration. I m constantly making new PowerPoints to make things interesting and to make sure the information we teach is up to date. What education did you have to prepare you for this job: I got my undergraduate degree in art and wanted to do art therapy, but NC wasn t quite ready for that. I then took 3 years off and worked and then got my master s degree in gerontology, and then my PhD in health services research and wrote my dissertation on Alzheimer s. What education do you wish you had received or would like now: I wish that maybe I hadn t taken those gap years, but then again those years helped me realize that I wanted to work with older people. Honestly, I would love to get a certificate in everything that has to do with Alzheimer s. I love to learn and I am passionate about what I do.
Audrey Marshal, Interviewed by Jessie Van Hulst, 2017 Job Title: Family Consultant for Project C.A.R.E. from the Cape Fear Area Agency on Aging How long have you been in the job? o Since November, 2016 o This position is one of 3 new positions created last fall, when NC received more funding for the program o Has been in social work for past 39 years Why did you choose this job? o From past experience working with geriatrician s clinic, nursing homes, and dementia patients. o Loves to make home visits, especially working with Dementia patients and their caregivers Responsibilities o As part of C.A.R.E. Management she is an ongoing case manager for caregivers who provide care for loved ones with Dementia o With the additional money the program received in NC, she can offer $500 vouchers on a limited basis for caregivers needing respite Typical Day o Covers 12 counties through the C.A.R.E Program o Resulting in more road travel than office time, as she provides home visits in all 12 counties What education did you have to prepare you for this job? o Graduated in 1978 from UNC Charlotte with a BS in Psychology and Sociology. o Wanted to pursue social work, but they did not offer that degree at the time o Started working in social work only 1 month after graduation o The years she spent in a geriatrician s office educated her on patient care for the older population, especially working with those with dementia What education do you wish you had received or would like now? o Would have possibly liked a degree specifically in social work o Possibly would have liked to pursue her MSW o However, she has always worked full-time and has provided caregiving for her parents and her father-in-law.
Veronica Lett, LCSW, Interviewed by Alison Miley, 2017 Job Title: Clinical social worker at Elderhaus PACE How long have you been in this job? Veronica has been in this role for over two and half years. Why did you choose this job? When Veronica relocated to the Wilmington area, she knew that she wanted to continue working with the geriatric population. Veronica s interests include healthcare, clinical social work, geriatrics, and end-of-life. She was familiar with and impressed with the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) model. Elderhaus PACE provides an alternative to nursing home care for adults 55 and older through adult day center, medical, and other services. Responsibilities Her job responsibilities include but are not limited to conducting psychosocial assessments, providing supportive counseling, serving as a member of the interdisciplinary team (IDT), developing person-centered care plans, providing caregiver support, and providing case management such as coordinating respites, connecting participants with community resources, and providing other support to assist participants with remaining in the community. Typical day (if there is such a thing!) Veronica starts her day with a morning IDT meeting where acute issues are discussed. Veronica then works on some of her rolling tasks, such as completing six month reassessments, fielding phone calls from family regarding requests or concerns, and coordinating respite stays. Staff at PACE have an open-door policy and therefore participants can come in to see Veronica for various needs at any time. Veronica typically sees two participants per day to provide scheduled or as needed psychosocial support. What education did you have to prepare you for this this job? Veronica received her Master of Social Work Degree from UNC Chapel Hill with a specialization in aging. She then went on to become an LCSW, or a licensed clinical social worker. What education do you wish you had received or would like now? Veronica is satisfied with her choice to get her MSW. However, if it was available to her with her aging specialization, she would have liked to obtain a dual degree in social work and public health. In addition, Veronica wishes that she was able to gain more macro skills such as in budgeting, grant-writing, non-profit management, and policy analysis while also taking more intensive modality trainings, such as psychodynamic training, while she was in school. However, these courses were not part of the structured program and therefore are more of an in an ideal world scenario.
Lauren Segur, Interviewed by Madison Lewis, 2017 Job title: Director of Admissions & Marketing, Liberty Commons Rehabilitation Center How long have you been in the job? Lauren has been at this facility for 2 years. This is her second job in the field of long term care. She spent 2 years at her previous job. Why did you choose this job? Lauren says she fell into this job. Her history in long term care is not too long because she is a young professional. When she was graduating from the UNCW Gerontology Master s program, she was not sure what specific field she wanted to pursue. Her first job was a rehab tech in a therapy department. Then she worked for two years at North Chase Nursing and Rehabilitation Center and now two years at Liberty Commons. She loves long term care and she knew she wanted a job in a skilled nursing facility. She is very pleased with the Liberty Commons culture and with where she is now. Responsibilities As an admissions director, she is responsible for making sure incoming patients are a good fit for the facility. Lauren spends about a third of her time going to the hospital to market to nurses and case workers, so when the time for recovery comes they are aware of what Liberty Commons offers. She receives referrals and will review them to make sure they are medically appropriate for their facility. Once she approves the referral, she will coordinate the admission time and date with the new patient to have things prepared for them. Finally, she gets the patients orders to the nursing staff so they can review their new patient. In her marketing role, she attends events to advertise Liberty Commons by signing up for sponsorships. The two roles that Lauren is responsible fortunately go hand in hand. Typical day (if there is such a thing!) On Monday, Wednesday, Friday Lauren and the administrative staff meet for a standup, which is about a 30-minute meeting in the morning to discuss any changes. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, this is done through email. She is regularly accepting bed offers and will have to add their information into the computer system in a timely manner, which can be time consuming. Her admissions responsibilities come first, but marketing is still important. What education did you have to prepare you for this this job? Bachelor of Exercise Science & Masters of Gerontology, both from UNCW What education do you wish you had received or would like now? At one point, she was concerned about getting her LPN or RN certification but she justified having a Masters as being equally qualified.
Gayle Ginsberg, Interviewed by Jenni Blair, 2017 Job title: Social Worker for the Senior Resource Center of New Hanover County How long have you been in the job? 21 years with New Hanover County, including two years as transportation coordinator and 19 years in current position. Why did you choose this job? She loves her position because she wants to help people. In college, she enjoyed and did well in some social work courses she started taking early on. She decided to pursue a degree in social work. She thinks people should always gravitate towards fields they are good in and enjoy! Responsibilities LEP unit: Life Enrichment Program Home delivered meals for seniors Congregate dining in senior resource center Family respite care Health fairs Transportation Leader of 3 support groups Family respite caregiver: Attended by many 24/7 caregivers and helps them learn skills and tips to better care for their loved one. Includes a 5 minute per person caring and sharing session where caregivers can ask advice for their specific situation. Mental health for caregivers: Attended by many 24/7 caregivers and focuses on caregiver; allowing them a time to relax and vent. Art support group (assistant leader): Art therapy. Typical day She says in this position you have to be willing to triage. Every day you must walk in with an open mind! If nothing urgent is happening, a typical day includes: Counseling people in the morning, including families of those in long-term care or with Alzheimer s. Meals on wheels intakes. Meals on wheels reassessments (must be completed every six months). Plan support groups, including but not limited to, deciding on a topic and finding a speaker for each monthly meeting. What education did you have to prepare you for this this job? She has a Bachelor s of Social Work. What education do you wish you had received or would like now? She wishes she had pursued a Masters of Social Work. She notes that if she was applying for her position today she would not be able to get the job due to lack of master s degree.
Susan Glose Job title: Academia: Clinical: Assistant Professor School of Nursing, Assistant Professor School of Medicine Nurse Practitioner Acute Care: Geriatrics Consult Service, Geriatric Medicine Service, Orthopedics Service, Acute Medical Rehab Service Community Based Care: Geriatrics Care Coordinator Senior Residence Health & Wellness Evaluations Long Term Care: Primary Care provider RN Home Care MCR certified How long have you been in the job? RN 30 years; NP 17 years; Academia 13 years Why did you choose this job? Enjoyed working with older people Felt older people were marginalized Felt that older people had needs that were different from middle aged people Had a close relationship with my maternal grandmother My degree in Psychology taught me that we are more than just our physical being Responsibilities Academia: Clinical: Teaching nurses and other healthcare professionals how to care for older people in a holistic, bias-free way Doing research that helps us take better care of older people Working with community organizations that serve older people Providing care to older people, educating older people about health and disease management; educating older people about options they have in their care and helping them to make the right choices for themselves; working with other members of the healthcare team to provide the right care for older patients working at the hospital system level to advocate for older adults Typical day (if there is such a thing!) Teaching, research, service Making connections at the hospital, community What education did you have to prepare you for this this job? BS Psychology, BS Nursing, MS Nursing, Post master s certification as Adult NP (Gerontological NP not available in my area), PhD Health Practice Research What education do you wish you had received or would like now? As my areas of interest in caring for older adults becomes more defined, I wish that I had a geriatrics credential (i.e. RN Geriatric certification, gerontological NP)
Learn more about opportunities in gerontology! Gerontology Minor Gerontology Graduate Certificate MS in Applied Gerontology Contact us at gerontology@uncw.edu Like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/uncwgerontology/?ref=hl