Play Your Part During Careers in Aging Week: April 18 to 24

By CEO James Appleby, BSPharm, MPH

The events of the past year have put into perspective just how important careers in aging are. As the world has wrestled with the COVID-19 pandemic, the researchers, clinicians, educators, direct care workers, and service providers supporting older adults have played an outsized role. And the demand for professionals with expertise in aging is growing rapidly. As members of the field, it’s up to us to make sure this realization isn’t lost as we move forward.

The entire GSA community is invited to join us as we celebrate Careers in Aging Week 2021, taking place from April 18 to 24. The activities will be conducted online and there are many ways to get involved.

Careers in Aging Week is observed by colleges, universities, professional societies, coalitions, businesses, health systems, and others. Its goal is to bring greater awareness and visibility to the wide-ranging career opportunities in the field of aging.

GSA is welcoming returning partners the American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living, Argentum, and LeadingAge. New to the team this year is the Erickson School of Aging Studies at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.

How can you get involved?

First, share your knowledge of the field on social media and let people know what career in aging you have chosen and why. This will allow people to see the diverse career paths in the field of aging such as gerontologist, health care practitioner, educator, researcher, operations manager, patient care technician, nutritionist, and the many other career options available in the field touching on technology, policy, design, programming, and communications.

Next, be sure to visit careersinaging.com, where you can download a GSA toolkit that includes social media images and messaging, a Zoom background, flyers, and other tools to help elevate your message.

The site has other useful resources as well, including career tip sheets, online resources from our partner organizations, and The Real Faces of Careers in Aging — a series of audio vignettes featuring interviews with professionals currently working in the field of aging.

Finally, you can host events at your institution, or thanks to their virtual nature, participate in one elsewhere! For example, the Erickson School of Aging Studies is hosting several events throughout the week. Their alumni and community partners will be talking about the heroic and exciting work they have been doing in the field of aging.

Thank you for making a positive difference in the lives of people of all ages, and thank you for inspiring others to do the same.