Nursing is a fast growing field to work in, particularly in elderly care nursing. This is likely to continue for some time yet, as we’re in the midst of an ageing population, where a larger portion of our total population consists of the elderly than at any other point in our history. The only way we seem able to deal with this is to hire nursing staff to care for them, and therefore the employment opportunities as a nurse are very high.

Elderly care is a significant industry, but calling it a single industry can create misconceptions about what types of opportunities are available for you to take on. For instance, many people expect an individual working in elderly care to be in care homes throughout most of their careers. While this is true for many, a lot of elderly care takes place in the individuals home, with the carer coming by for short periods of the day to make sure that they’re healthy and comfortable.

Even if you do wind up working in an elderly care home, it is worth bearing in mind that they aren’t all the same either. You can gain employment in a fairly standard elderly care home, or one which specialises in more serious cases of Alzheimer’s and forms of dementia. These care homes can consist of what are essentially shared living quarters, or they can be quasi-medical facilities that are able to fulfil the medical necessities of their inhabitants.

You also have the option to join the more expensive, privately funded care facilities. In these establishments, the resources available to the staff and the elderly are usually of a better standard, which generally makes for a better working environment.