Charting Your Course as An Assisted Living Administrator!
The long term care industry is one of the fastest growing employment fields in the US due to the silver tsunami. This phrase has been coined to depict the high number of baby boomers who will need long term care services in the coming years. The Administration on Aging predicts that by 2030, one in five Americans will be over age 65. Plus, the US Census Bureau reports that the number of Americans aged 65 and older is projected to almost double from 52 million in 2018 to 95 million by 2060.
The sheer number of baby boomers who will require senior healthcare in the near future is quite significant. That means careers in the senior living / long-term care industry, including Assisted Living, Nursing Homes, Skilled Nursing Facilities and Memory Care Communities, will continue to be abundant.
There are many careers available in all segments of long-term care but let’s first examine the duties of an Assisted Living Administrators and how to become one.
What are the Job Duties of Assisted Living Administrators?
–Oversee Operations. Manage the day-to-day operations of an Assisted Living Community to maintain high standards of care.
–Staff Management. Recruit, train, supervise, and evaluate staff members.
–High Quality Resident Care. Ensure that residents receive care and support tailored to their individual needs.
–Financial Management. Budget and ensure financial stability of the community. That means monitoring expenses and overseeing financial operations.
–Compliance. Must be compliant with federal, state and local regulations. This will include licensing requirements, safety standards, and resident rights.
–Emergency Preparedness. Develop plans that will ensure the safety and well-being of residents during emergent times such as a pandemic or natural disaster.
–Communication & Collaboration. Foster open communication & collaboration among staff, residents, family members, and healthcare professionals.
What are the Requirements for Becoming an Assisted Living Administrator?
The specific requirements to become an Assisted Living Administrator varies from from state to state. While regulations may differ, some common requirements include:
–Education. Bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration, gerontology, business administration, social work or related field. Some states may require a master’s degree.
–Experience. Some experience of working in a healthcare or senior living setting is usually required.
–Licensure. In a number of states, an Assisted Living Administrator is required to obtain a state license or certification. This may involve passing a state-specific exam and completing a training program or obtaining continuing education credits.
–Training. Programs offering training usually cover such topics as regulations, ethics, resident care, financial management, and leadership skills.
What’s the Average Salary of Assisted Living Administrators
According to Salary.com, the average Assisted Living Licensed Administrator salary in the United States is $125,100 as of January 26, 2024, but the range typically falls between $97,500 and $163,600. Salary ranges can vary widely depending on many important factors, including education, certifications, additional skills, the number of years you have spent in your profession.
What are the Key Skills Required for Assisted Living Administrators
Being an Assisted Living Administrator requires a diverse skill set to effectively manage and operate an Assisted Living Community:
- Leadership
- Financial Management
- Communication
- Empathy & Compassion
- Problem Solving
- Organizational Skills
- Regulatory Knowledge
- Customer Service-Oriented
- Interpersonal
- Team-Oriented
What are Some Possible Career Paths for Assisted Living Administrators:
The most common career paths for an Assisted Living Administrators are promotions to Assisted Living Director and Executive Director. However, there are seasoned Assisted Living Administrators who sometimes prefer the path of an interim Assisted Living Administrator.
Why Become an Interim Assisted Living Administrator?
–Flexibility: Work as much or as little as you want. There’s flexibility in terms of scheduling and work assignments as compared to full-time role.
–Variety: Gain experience in different facilities and settings.
–Skills Development: There are various opportunities to develop and enhance leadership, problem-solving and decision making skills.
–Networking: Chance to build relationships with a wide range of professionals in healthcare and senior living, expanding current network that could lead to potential career opportunities.
–Fast-Paced: Interims often step into a role that requires immediate attention. They often face challenges. For some, this is both rewarding and stimulating.
–Compensation: Interim positions may offer high compensation rates compared to permanent roles.
What Interim Positions are the Most Requested in Senior Living / Long-Term Care?
-Interim Assisted Living Administrator
-Interim Nursing Home Administrator
-Interim Executive Director
-Interim Director of Nursing
-Interim Resident Services Director
-Interim MDS Coordinator
-Interim Health & Wellness Director
Are There Alternative Careers For Assisted Living Administrators?
Aside from Assisted Living Administration jobs, licensed Administrators may work in hospitals, physicians’ offices, government and home health care services as Clinical Managers, Health Information Managers or Assistant Administrators. Outside of the medical field some administrator jobs and careers include human resources management and social and community service management.
Why Choose MedBest as Your Assisted Living Administrator Search Partner?
As former senior healthcare and long term care executives, we’ve sat in the chairs you’re looking to fill. MedBest’s leadership and senior recruiting team have been on both sides of the hiring process. We understand what is required to successfully place an Assisted Living Administrator, perm or interim, with an Assisted Living Community.
We’ve created a recruiting process that enables us to select the most desirable leaders for vital roles within assisted living communities.
As part of our recruiting process, we offer two recruiting packages, MedBest Advantage and MedBest Premium to meet the needs of our clients:
- Based on stringent multi-steps, with our MedBest Advantage recruiting process we base our candidate selections off of certifications, references, skill sets, and experience. After finding potential assisted living talent, each individual is rigorously screened and interviewed to ensure they meet all of the necessary requirements for the company.
- MedBest Premium ensures a perfect match with personality assessments. There is a very clear connection between personality and engagement, performance, and profit. This makes personality something that should be assessed before any hiring takes place. With this state-of-the-art testing, our experts are able to anticipate possible issues that may arise in the assisted living environment and eliminate them before they begin; this makes long-term success nearly guaranteed. It can prevent the ever fatal personality war. In fact, when this system is fully deployed, it boasts an astounding 92% success rate.
For those who are looking for a position in assisted living and senior healthcare, including C-Suite Executives, Vice Presidents, Executive Directors, Assisted Living Administrators, General Managers, Sales and Marketing Directors, Regional Consultants, Resident Service Directors, our job board is full of great opportunities to find the perfect match for your skills.
ABOUT JULIE RUPENSKI
Julie Rupenski is the Founder & CEO of MedBest Recruiting. Since opening its doors in 2001, Julie has grown MedBest into an award winning, multimillion-dollar national firm, garnering impressive awards including INC 5000 2021 and Tampa Bay Fast 50 2021 and Top Interim Services Provider 2023! In addition, Julie was named as one of the “Top 100 Women Leaders in Tampa 2022″ by Women We Admire.
MedBest has gained national recognition due to Julie’s industry expertise and high level of success. Julie has an in-depth knowledge of the senior living / long term care industry. She previously worked in operations for both senior housing and senior living prior to founding MedBest. Today, Julie and her industry-savvy team of recruiters, make it their mission to place exceptional industry executives in senior living positions where they have the greatest impact. Contact Julie at jkrupenski@medbest.com.
ABOUT MEDBEST
MedBest is an award-winning national Executive Search Firm exclusive to the Senior Living / Long Term Care Industry. For more than two decades, we have connected senior living / long term care organizations with exceptional senior living executive talent for both permanent and interim roles. MedBest was named as a Top 10 Interim Services Provider 2023! In addition, we were one of American’s top companies by Inc.5000 and a Tampa Fast 50 Company in 2021! MedBest is a member of the National Association of Personnel Services (NAPS), National Investment Center for Senior House (NIC), and American Staffing Association (ASA). Contact MedBest at 727-526-1294.
Visited 139 Times, 1 Visit today
