FAQs

A career in long term care offers professional growth, is invaluably rewarding and provides a tremendous sense of purpose by caring for the nation’s most vulnerable population. The growth opportunity, coupled with the day-to-day fulfillment working with incredible, like-minded individuals with a passion to serve, make a job in long term care unlike any job on the market.

Every nursing home and assisted living community is a family with everyone working together for the health and wellbeing of their residents. Every staff member is valued, and facilities make it a point to make every worker feel appreciated. CNA’s give each resident specialized, one-on-one care while also acting as their constant companion, often finding a best friend in a resident.

Long term care communities serve a very special population, the nation’s elderly. Every resident is someone’s mother, father, grandparent, aunt, uncle or friend. The average age of a long term care resident is 85 years old, so each one has lived a long life, filled with incredible stories and life lessons. The relationships made between CNA’s and residents are extremely special.

Long term care is a vital component of our health care system. CNA’s are medical professionals who ensure that our seniors live their healthiest lives. And the skills learned and fostered in a long term care setting transfer well to other health care settings.

There is a familial aspect to long term care that you won’t find anywhere else. CNA’s aren’t just a nurse or a physical therapist. Relationships with residents can develop over months and years, something that is unique to the long term care setting. You will have the opportunity to tailor your care to each resident’s preference – something that will be much appreciated by those in your care.

Yes. Once you enter the long term care sector, you are put on an immediate career path with tremendous opportunity for upward mobility. Today’s CNA can be tomorrow’s registered nurse. The opportunity for growth is one reason why starting your career in long term care is a great steppingstone to get into the health care field.

Another benefit of becoming a CNA is the chance to start a long career in healthcare. An experienced CNA has a wide choice of work settings and can specialize in an area of healthcare, such as hospice or home health. Alternatively, a CNA may decide to train as a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) or or Registered Nurse (RN) or move into Administration or Management

Becoming a CNA is a great first step in entering the healthcare field – from a CNA to a Certified Medication Aide, LPN, and/or RN.

Starting off as a CNA can open doors to specialty fields outside of nursing too, such as:

• Social worker
• Occupational therapist
• Healthcare Administrator
• Physician Assistant
• Physician
• And many others!

Each resident has different health care needs. One resident may have memory issues, while another may need physical, occupational, or speech therapy – no two residents are the same. Working as a member of the healthcare team, gives a CNA the opportunity to learn life-sustaining skills that protect the health and wellbeing of every resident or patient.

YES! Currently there are multiple CNA job opportunities throughout Georgia.

The workforce already grew by half within a decade, from 3 million workers in 2009 to almost 4.6 million in 2019. Looking ahead, the long-term care sector is expected to add another 1.3 million direct care jobs, primarily personal care aide positions, over the next decade—more new jobs than ANY other occupation in the U.S. economy!

Aging is inevitable, and we expect to see unprecedented growth in our senior population over the next three decades. That means the demand for more caregivers has never been greater. We must ensure our current and future elderly population have the caregivers they need to live their golden years with dignity

• It’s never been easier to enter the healthcare field
• It’s the fastest way to become a professional member of the healthcare team;
• No college degree is required
• Training is affordable*
• Training can also be free!**
• You can complete a CNA training program in 4-12 weeks
• Get paid while you receive nurse aid training

* Training is affordable. The average cost for a state-approved school is about $1,300, plus about $200 for the certification process.

**Because the demand for CNAs is great, some nursing homes and skilled care facilities offer tuition reimbursement, paid employment during training, or free CNA classes in exchange for a commitment to work after completing the courses.