Aged care: number one future healthcare job

The study finds changes in allied health and caring for the ageing Australian population are driving employment increases throughout the health care sector.

According to Professor Wendy Moyle, from Griffith's Centre for Health Practice Care Innovation, Australia’s ageing population means an absolute need for an unlimited quantity of specialist aged care nurses.

“Along with the age increase comes a greater focus on the healthcare complexities and comorbidities that are representative of this demographic. Nurses that specialise in gerontology nursing will see a huge number of job opportunities open up to them such as nurse practitioners, community aged care managers, dementia and chronic disease nurse specialists and residential aged care managers in nursing homes,” Professor Moyle says.

In keeping with the ageing theme, dental care for older people is another growing opportunity for employment.

Professor Florian Mack, a specialist from Griffith’s Menzies Health Institute Queensland, claims: “Obviously the older you get, the more teeth you will lose so there are unique dental solutions which are required for this particular group.”

“The ageing population presents a complex set of challenges which require dentists to not only be competent with the medications but also to be understanding of the numerous diseases and social factors which affect older people,” Professor Mack says.

For example, it is generally agreed that the more active a person is socially or within sport or work, the more interested they are in maintaining their oral health.

Gerodontology, which is the dental care for older people, is described by Professor Mack as a “young, but growing discipline” in Australia, with emerging opportunities being seen in general dentistry positions as well as prosthodontics, a speciality dealing with reconstructive dentistry. Griffith offers a Dental and Oral Health program of study to meet the changing landscape.

Pharmacists are also becoming increasingly involved in the management of a range of medical conditions such mental health, diabetes, asthma and dementia following initiatives related to the federal government's nine National Health Priority Areas.

“Patients often have multiple conditions, meaning that their medication regimes can be very complex. What the pharmacist brings to the healthcare team is the ability to review and rationalise drug therapy leading to improved effectiveness, less side effects, reduced hospitalisations and, therefore, reduced costs to the healthcare system,” says Professor Andrew Davey, the Head of the School of Pharmacy.

“Pharmacists often work closely with nursing homes where medication related advice is particularly important, and we are also starting to see growing numbers of pharmacists working within medical centres. This is a critical growth area that enables pharmacists to contribute to improving the health outcomes of patients by working much closer with GP’s in the management of complex cases,” he says.

With the health sector’s continuing focus on preventative medicine as a way of reducing reliance on medication, exercise physiology is also gaining momentum as a career path.

Exercise physiologists specialise in the delivery of exercise for the prevention and management of many chronic diseases and injuries. 

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