A Little-Known Career for Caring Types

By Marty Nemko

Imagine that you had aging parents living in another city. You're trying to keep them out of a nursing home, but they need lots of help: a good visiting nurse, someone to fight the insurance company, a companion to get them out of the house. You'd help out if you were local, but you're not. The answer? Hire a geriatric care manager.

Neat Niche: Elder Mover. Many older folks want to trade their now too-large home for a smaller place, but the project can be intimidating. In addition to the physical tasks, leaving one's home can be emotionally painful. Elder movers take care of everything: from hiring the right movers to figuring out what will fit in the new home; from hooking up the VCR to setting up their clients' slippers on the right side of the bed so when they first arrive, it will feel like home.

What can you do today?
If geriatric care management might be a career for you, visit the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers website.