With longer life expectancies comes the need for long term senior care for many baby boomers. Some older adults go through changes in health that often affect their ability to be independent, thus requiring them to find care. The older, bigger and more diverse our country gets will have a great effect on the U.S. healthcare system. According to the American Geriatrics Society, “About 30% of the population 65 and older require some type of geriatric care,” which means this would require roughly 21,500 geriatricians for the baby boomer generation. If you’re interested in establishing a career in healthcare, here is a list of valuable characteristics that a healthcare professional should have.
Patience:
Healthcare professionals will often have to practice patience when dealing with patients and their families. Patience not only helps healthcare professionals provide quality care, but it also assists with being able to communicate efficiently when faced with demanding or fast-paced situations.
Open Minded:
An important characteristic for a healthcare professional includes being open minded. A healthcare professional who is open minded is also a good listener and asks questions, which correlates to being able to effectively communicate with their patients and staff. This is really important, especially in the healthcare industry where communication could be a matter of life and death.