Become a Geriatric Consultant

Work opportunities for health care managers are slated to increase dramatically in the future. As the population ages, health care managers and consultants who work with aging services are likely to be in high demand because of their expertise. Geriatric consultants take on a variety of roles, but many choose to consult with families and facilities about how best to manage the financial, medical, legal and psychological issues of aging. To become a geriatric consultant, get a healthcare education and complete the required certifications before searching for your first job.

Steps

Getting a Healthcare Education

1. Complete a bachelor's or associate's degree. In most cases, the best chance at working as a geriatric consultant is to pursue a bachelor's degree in nursing, social work, psychology, counseling or pre-medicine. People who have an associate's degree in nursing or geriatric care may qualify after many years of direct experience in elder care.
   • Consider pursuing a minor degree or focus in gerontology. This is the study of the aging process and include the study of biology, psychology and sociology. It will help you to focus your career path toward working with the elderly.
2. Seek a related internship. Examples of applicable internships include those in an assisted living facility, nursing home, or other agency that works directly with seniors. Internships are an excellent way to research what areas of elder care you would like to pursue.
   • For example, you can try internships in a clinical facility, like a hospital, a home care environment, or an assisted living facility.
   • Depending upon your higher education focus, you may choose to intern in an administrative assistant role or a clinical role.
   • If you are pursuing a degree as a certified nursing assistant (CNA), registered nurse (RN), psychologist or counselor, you will be required to do a practicum as part of your degree.
3. Gain work experience in the field. Before becoming a consultant, you should gain at least 4 years of experience working directly with the elderly. The length of the work required to teach you about all the practical aspects of working with seniors and their families will depend upon the position itself.
   • You may choose to dedicate this time to a single role or to seek jobs that broaden your expertise. For example, after working as an aid in a hospital, you may choose to work at a nursing home or try home health care.
4. Earn a master's degree if you want to move up in your career. Many care managers pursue specialized degrees in order to improve their expertise, gain a higher salary, and seek promotions. Applicable degrees include a master's degree as a gerontology nurse practitioner, care manager, nurse administrator, health care management, gerontology health care administration, or geriatric nursing.
   • Degrees with a focus in gerontology or geriatrics are highly specialized and only available at certain universities. Choosing a program will require research and possible travel. However, you may be able to find a degree that will allow you to complete some of the classes online.

Getting Licensed

1. Seek geriatric consultation certification. Most geriatric consultants get certification from a national organization, such as the National Academy of Certified Care Managers (NACCM), after they get their degree. A professional certification will help to increase your knowledge and prove your expertise. There are a number of different levels of certification you can seek.
   • There are a variety of geriatric certifications available. For instance, if you want to focus on consulting for facilities that care for elderly people, you can get a geriatric care manager certification. If you want to advise elderly people directly, you can become a certified senior advisor.
   • Visit the websites of various certification groups to research your options.
2. Apply for membership in professional organizations. Being a member of organizations such as the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers, the American Geriatrics Society, and the National Alliance for Care Giving offers you a chance to network, seek training, and look for jobs. They can also help you to get off to a good start in your consulting career.
   • Each of these organizations has a website that includes information about membership, including cost.
3. Research your area's requirements for licensing. Each area of geriatric work has a different method for licensing and regulating health care providers. Search online for your city, state, or municipality's licensing requirements through the website of your local governing body.
   • For example, if you have a degree in social work and you want to be a geriatric consultant, you need to make sure that you are licensed as a clinical social worker or a social work case manager. Look up the requirements for these fields and fulfill them.
4. Complete your licensing requirements. In general for most healthcare licensing, the first step in licensing will be to undergo examinations, including observation. Only after these exams are completed will you be allowed to pay your fees and apply for your license.
   • Licensing restrictions tend to be more strict for people working as independent consultants than for people who are employed by an organization, so take this into consideration when choosing what specialty within geriatric consulting you want to go into.

Starting Your Career

1. Look for job listings. If you want to look for work with an organization, search the job listings online. Geriatric consulting jobs may be listed under a variety of terms, including consultants, care managers, or geriatric specialists.
   • These jobs may be listed on general job listing websites, such as Glassdoor, and on specialty organizations websites, such as the website of the American Geriatrics Society.
   • If you have a specific specialty that you want to do, focus on that in your job search.
2. Apply and interview for the jobs you want. Follow the instructions for applying that were listed on the job add. In most cases you should include a cover letter that described why you are well-suited and highly-qualified for the job and a resume that highlights your pertinent experience in geriatrics.
   • If you are invited for an interview, spend some time before the interview researching the organization and the role you would be filling.
   • During the interview give clear and honest answers to the questions you are asked, being sure to bring up pertinent examples from your own experiences that show you are passionate about working in geriatric consulting.
3. Plan out your own business. If you want to work as a sole proprietor, or other independent business type, you should write a business plan that details your services, financing, marketing and management plans. You will need to have a website built, create marketing materials, and seek partnerships in the medical community, in order to earn steady income from geriatric consulting.
4. Connect your business to organizations that work with the elderly. You can ally yourself with an organization that requires the aid of a geriatric consultant, or you may work directly with families. Whichever path you choose, you will need to advertise your expertise, gain referrals from clients and maintain a high level of knowledge about the changing health care environment.
5. Stay up to date in your field. Being a successful geriatric consultant requires you to stay on top of the latest issues facing seniors. For instance, you may want to sign up for subscriptions to the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society and the Geriatrics Journal.
   • Also take continuing education classes so that you learn the most up-to-date information about how to help your clients as they age.

References

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