The Value of Older Adults as Caregiving Staff
Staffing to support people with disabilities and the elderly is in crisis. Mainstay has been searching for new ways to draw quality staff to support the residents of our programs.
Our latest effort is tapping into the baby boomer and newly-retired populations. Part of this is joining the AARP Employer Pledge Program and focusing on recruiting older adults to the caregiving field.
Finding young professionals who are interested in a career in caregiving is getting more and more difficult. Technology fields offer work-from-home careers, and for-profit retailers offer higher hourly wages along with a faster pace.
Caregivers Need to Match the Slow Pace of Residents
“The key to being a quality staff when working with vulnerable populations is having the ability to slow down, not to speed up,” says Doreen Cummings, Director of In Home Services at Mainstay.
“Working with people with disabilities requires staff members to calm their mind, have patience, and to enjoy quality time with residents, like going for a walk or playing a board game. It’s harder to find people who enjoy taking their time to connect with the resident’s pace. We think older adults could be the answer to the staffing crisis.”
When talking to older adults interested in part-time employment, many note that although they’ve retired, they still have a lot to give and energy to share with the world.
Why the Staffing Case for Older Adults is Strong
Workers aged 50+ add value to organizations due to their high levels of engagement, stability, productivity, and experience. They’re a critical component of a multigenerational workforce.
Older adults add:
- Valuable resources for training and mentoring
- Important sources of institutional knowledge
- More knowledge, wisdom, and life experience
- A higher level of responsibility, reliability, and dependability
- Problem solving expertise
- A reduction in turnover cost through retainment
Interested in Working Flexible Hours?
If you’re interested in working at Mainstay, or know someone who is, please contact us!
Our part-time positions with flexible hours will give you a great satisfaction of helping a vulnerable population thrive in their communities.
