Written by Chien Hung, MSW, MA-G, RYT, program director of VOYCEconnect and Mental Wellness programs
This blog post is provided as part of Careers in Aging Week, April 17-23, 2022, which brings greater awareness and visibility to the wide-ranging career opportunities in the field of aging.
Every older adult I work with is like a fascinating novel waiting for me to read. All individual’s issues and dilemmas are like intriguing puzzles waiting for me to solve. I can’t wait to get to work every day and explore all the excitement ahead.
Everybody needs an advocate, but an advocate becomes even more critical when you live in a nursing home, assisted living community, or residential care setting. When faced with entering long-term care, community members call VOYCEconnect. Staff can answer questions about levels of care, provide lists of customized resources about appropriate facilities, and refer callers to qualified professionals to support them through their long-term care journey.
Volunteer ombudsmen help residents solve problems in long-term care. Residents receive help with complaints about meals, unanswered call lights, and severe abuse and neglect cases. On the other end of the spectrum, VOYCE also advocates in Jefferson City for resident rights, like the right to have visitors or place a camera in their rooms. VOYCE provides free educational webinars monthly and just launched a friendly visitor program called Friendly VOYCE. Volunteer ombudsmen, committee members, and friendly visitors are always needed to join us as advocates.
This is a career with a lot of amazing potential. There are 10,000 Americans turning 65 daily, which is federally defined as “old age”. As a professional in the aging field, you will always be needed and don’t ever need to worry about employment opportunities.