Falling Into Purpose: Why Long-Term Care Is the Career Path We Should Be Talking About
Guest Blog: LeadingAge PA Career Growth Partner Contribution by Luanne Hutchinson, Executive Director of Strategic Healthcare Initiatives at Harrisburg University in Pennsylvania.
Ask most people working in long-term care how they got started, and you’ll hear a familiar refrain: “I never thought I would.” Maybe their aunt worked in a nursing home and loved it. Maybe, like me, they fell into it—helping out a friend’s family-run facility for a week and never looking back. That’s the magic of senior living: it hooks you with heart.
As someone now working in workforce development and healthcare strategy, I spend at least part of my days thinking about how we attract, train, and retain talent in healthcare. And lately, the data has been sobering. Nurses, therapists, and allied health professionals are leaving the field—not because they don’t care, but because they don’t feel valued. They’re looking for more than a paycheck. They want purpose, respect, and connection.
That’s why long-term care deserves a louder voice in our workforce conversations.
The Emotional ROI of Senior Living
Let’s be honest: the work isn’t easy. Residents are living longer, often with more complex health needs. Families are scattered across the country, sometimes leaving aging parents alone and vulnerable. But despite the challenges, long-term care offers something rare in healthcare: time. Time to build relationships. Time to listen. Time to care.
You’re not just clocking in at a facility—you’re entering and working each day in someone’s home. Whether it’s a high-rise in the city or a quiet campus in the suburbs, you’re stepping into a space filled with stories. Stories of people who worked for presidents, served overseas, invented tools we use every day, or built fortunes and lost them. Where else can you celebrate a 108th birthday and a 103rd in the same week?
Opportunity Is Everywhere
Senior living isn’t just about bedside care. It’s a launchpad for clinical specialties like rehabilitation, wellness, nutritional science, and active aging. Nurses trained in wound care, post-surgical recovery, chronic disease management, and analytics are in high demand. Many organizations are stepping up, offering tuition assistance, certificate programs, and career advancement pathways.
As workforce development programs expand and partner with senior care providers, the possibilities are multiplying. We’re seeing a shift: Millennials and Gen Z workers want more than just vacation time and dental insurance. They want experiences. They want to be part of something meaningful. Senior living and senior services deliver!
A Call to Workforce Leaders
If you’re an educator, a workforce strategist, or a healthcare leader, it’s time to rethink how we talk about aging services. This isn’t just a niche; it’s a vibrant, emotionally rich, and professionally rewarding sector. We need to elevate it in our career fairs, training programs, public messaging, and how we portray healthcare careers.
Because when you work in long-term care, you don’t just care for people. You become part of their story. And that’s a career worth choosing.
Learn more about LeadingAge PA's Career Growth Partners and our collaboration efforts with educational institutions here.