Why We Love It
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$106,070Potential Avg. Salary*
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Growing DemandJob Outlook
* Salary & growth data is based on the recent Bureau of Labor and Statistics data published at https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes119111.htm for 11-9111 Medical and health services managers 11/2021. Based on national data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary.
In a bachelor of science in long-term care administration, you’ll learn how to care for the elderly and manage long-term care facilities.
You’ll study topics like gerontology, ethics, and long-term care facility law, as well as general business administration topics like finance, marketing, and human resources management. Graduates find work as administrators in nursing homes and other similar facilities.
What is a Degree in Long Term Care Administration?
If you like helping people and are an effective leader, consider the many benefits of pursuing a bachelor’s degree in long-term care administration. This degree program teaches students how to manage and operate long-term care facilities like nursing homes, retirement communities, and assisted living practices.
Students study topics in healthcare, law and ethics, and business, learning how to care for the elderly and adhere to applicable laws while also managing a facility and a staff of employees.
As the Baby Boomers—one of the largest generations of our time—near or surpass retirement age, it’s expected that the demand for long-term care professionals will grow significantly.
If you like working with people, feel passionate about caring for the elderly, and want to make sure people are provided excellent healthcare and living conditions as they near the end of their lives, you should have a thriving career as the administrator of a nursing home, assisted living practice, or retirement community.
Recommended Schools
What Courses Would I Take For a Major in Long Term Care Administration?
- Long-Term Care Administration
- Nursing Facility Administration
- Seminar in Gerontology
- Introduction to the Aging Experience
- Quality and Patient Safety in Long-Term Care
- Health and Aging
- Nutrition for the Aging Population
- Death, Dying & Bereavement
What Jobs Can You Get with a Degree in Long Term Care Administration?
Individuals with the appropriate education and credentials to work as long-term care administrators should be able to expect a bright future when it comes to career opportunities. The Baby Boomers are one of the largest generations, and they’re nearing an age where many of that generations are going to need long-term care.
This is expected to significantly increase demand for long-term care administrators to run nursing homes, oversee assisted living operations and personnel, and act as caregivers.
How Long does it take?
A bachelors in Long Term Care Administration will have a typical length of 4 years in a full time schedule. That said, there are many ways to speed up the timeframe by either taking more units via online coursework, community college, or taking free classes at OnlineDegree.com that could transfer to universities in the US.
Online Long Term Care Administration Degree
Long-term care administration is not a popular program and it is offered by a limited number of universities or colleges. You can still find a few programs that are offered completely online. These programs require intensive internships as part of the curriculum. This is important to have guided practical experience in the field before managing a long-term care facility independently.
You can also study for a master’s degree if you already have a bachelor’s degree in a related field.
What Can You Do With a Long Term Care Administration Degree?
long-term care administration refers to the management of the daily operations of a nursing home, adult day care, assisted living facilities or similar facilities. Administrators are responsible for the various aspects of the facility operations including hiring of qualified staff, community outreach, marketing, financial management, procurement of supplies and supervision of resident care services.
The job also requires a good understanding of related laws and regulations that determine the rights of the clients and staff. Accordingly, most of the facilities require that employees in this position hold at a least bachelor’s degree in the field. It should be noted however that the jobs available for this field are relatively limited compared to other careers.
What do long-term care administration students learn?
Long administration is a managerial field that involves some legal aspects. The role of this job is critical as it is directly related to the quality of life offered to a vulnerable group of the community. Students learn about the various aspects of the operations and how they can deal with the daily needs of the facility they manage.
The following list shows the courses that are commonly offered in long-term care administration degree programs:
- Human resources management in healthcare: this course introduces the principles and skills for the management of human resources including supervision, hiring and selection, teamwork, evaluation of performance, training and development, compensation and benefits, and labor law.
- Law and ethics: this course introduces the legal, regulatory and ethical issues related to long-term care including topics such as patient consent, privacy, contract law, corporate liability, malpractice, fraud, abuse and the major federal and state-related laws.
- Finance: the course presents the financial concepts related to the management of long-term care institutions as cost and profit analysis, planning and budgeting, financial reports, investments and current account management.
- Strategic planning and marketing: the course focuses on strategic planning for managing the long-term operations of the institute by identifying the vision, mission and objectives. The course also presents a way to plan for marketing campaigns, public relations, advertising and sales.
- Risk management: the course introduces the methods to evaluate risks related to managerial decisions and how to manage them.
- Long-term care: the course presents an overview related to the daily operation of the facility and the services offered. It also introduces the social, cultural, environmental, physical, cognitive, and psychological factors affecting people as they age and how these factors should be addressed.
Now I have a long-term care administration degree…where can I work after graduating?
Long-term care administration is a specialized professional degree and there are usually a limited number of job vacancies for this particular field. The job is usually financially rewarding, and salaries can reach $100,000 annually. The skills and knowledge acquired by studying long-term care administration qualify the students for managerial positions in similar careers.
The following list shows career options available to long-term care administration graduates:
- Nursing home administrator: the role of this job is to manage the long-term as well as the daily operations of the facility which include finance, human resources, housekeeping and procurement of supplies.
- Assisted living administrator: Assisted living facilities are similar to nursing facilities, but they are dedicated to residents who can live more independently. The role of the administrator includes maintaining the safety and security of the residents.
- Home care administrator: the role of this position is to organize programs and lead staff working in home care settings. They should also take care of any related regulatory issues.
- Nursing home admissions director: large nursing homes may have a specialized director to help with the admission process. This step represents a challenging transition to the elderly, and they need guidance and support from dedicated staff.
- Post-acute care program director: the role of this job is to provide long-term support after acute medical care is provided for a major injury or trauma. This is a difficult period as the patient needs much support to accommodate a new disability or health condition that can have significant psychological and physical effects.
Should I choose a long-term care administration degree?
Long-term care administration should certainly be among the choices for people who are passionate about providing care to vulnerable populations or those who need support. It is a personally rewarding career when it comes to the positive impact you make on people’s lives.
It will also help develop a group of useful skills:
- Attention to details: you should be caring for fine details as missing any point may have a significant effect on one of the residents.
- Time management: the career is stressful and demanding as you are responsible for daily operations and long-term planning. You should manage your time and prioritize your assigned tasks effectively to keep work on track.
- Leadership: you should be able to motivate your team and synchronize their work to get the most out of their work. You should also have the ability to assign tasks to the right people according to their knowledge, experience and skills.
Recommended Schools
Best Jobs for Long Term Care Administration Degrees
With a bachelor’s degree in long-term care administration, you can find work as an owner, administrator, or manager of a nursing home, extended-care retirement community, or assisted living practice.
You may also find work in general healthcare administration for hospitals or physicians’ offices, or you could become a live-in caregiver for an elderly patient.
How to save time and money
Our mission is to help you to avoid paying full price for college. We want your Long Term Care Administration degree to be affordable and accessible. Here’s how you could save:
Create Your Free SmartPlan
There are many ways to make college affordable and accessible.
That’s why we created a helpful tool called SmartPlan.
It’s free, and helps you find potential ways to save and tons of information about each school you’re considering
Think of it as your “college blueprint”, to help you instantly craft a path to your degree:
- Which Colleges Match Your Needs
- Ways You Could Save Time & Money
- Free Courses You Could Take for Credit
- Valuable Data and Insights on Each College
- Detailed Steps You Should Take!
See what’s possible for you and generate a free plan within just a few minutes
Create My SmartPlanGet a Certificate in Long Term Care Administration First
While a degree will be needed to earn the required certification to work as a professional long-term care facility owner or administrator, you can find work in an entry-level position in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities with just a certificate.
A certificate program lasts a year or less, and earning it before pursuing a bachelor’s degree allows you to get ahead of your post-graduation competition later with professional experience in the field. Work in a nursing home while getting your bachelor’s degree.
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