Page 11 - Healthcare News Mar/Apr 2021

JOIN OUR WINNING TEAM!
4 Are you a medical professional with a passion for helping people?
4 Are you interested in new opportunities within the behavioral health field in a brand-new state-of-the-art facility?
4 Are you looking to join a committed team of professionals and make a difference in our community?
NEW Behavioral Health Units Opening Soon!
Two new state of the art facilities will be opening soon, and we’re looking for dedicated staff that will make a difference. We’re inviting medical professionals interested in behavioral health to join our team, including:
4 Registered Nurses
4 Social Workers
4 Occupational Therapists
4 Adult and Geriatric Psychiatrists
4 Nurse Practitioners
4 Mental Health Assistants
4 And other qualified medical personnel!
Many positions with two years of experience could earn a $20,000 sign on bonus! Visit our website to apply, or to learn more participate in an upcoming virtual hiring event at: https://bit.ly/2LtQKpv
HolyokeHealth.com/Careers
MARCH/APRIL 2021 WWW.HEALTHCARENEWS.COM 11
AGING OF AMERICA CONT’D
Dr. Susan Bankoski Chunyk says people still put off seek- ing treatment for hearing loss due to outdated perceptions about hearing aids.
home care and nursing-home care because, person- ally, I don’t believe this generation, which I am part of, will readily tolerate limited access to the best care that’s going to allow them to stay in their homes and communities as long as possible.”
Mary Flahive-Dickson, chief op- erating officer at East Longmeadow- based Golden Years Home Care, agreed. She said the milestone age being reached by the oldest of Baby Boomers provides an opportunity
to look hard at what’s in store for
the healthcare system and ask the question: is it fully prepared for the challenges to come? And, if not, what needs to be done so it might be better prepared?
In many ways, Flahive-Dickson said, the COVID-19 pandemic has actually provided a preview of sorts for what’s coming as this large gener- ation ages, with regard to everything from telehealth to the way the overall healthcare system was tested by sheer volume of cases and even vaccina- tion efforts, to the manner in which the need for home-care services is growing.
During the pandemic, this need was fueled by growing fears of nursing homes and other senior- living facilities. Many of those fears still persist, but for Baby Boomers, by and large, the greater issue is simply wanting to remain independent — and in the home — as long as possible.
Eric Aasheim, a certified senior advisor and owner of Oasis Senior Living of Western Massachusetts,
agreed. Aasheim, who assists seniors and family members through the complex process of transition- ing from home to senior-living communities across this region, said the entire long-term-care sector will be tested by the aging of this generation.
“I don’t believe this generation, which I am part of, will readily tolerate limited access to the best care.”
“What I see, and what I worry about, is that the long-term-care system — and that includes in-home care, nursing homes, and assisted living — is just not ready for the sheer volume of patients and residents that they’re going to have,” he told HCN. “And even though these individuals living longer and their resources are being depleted, there are so few places that have any kind of programs for low-income seniors. Unless something dramatically changes
in terms of the number of assisted-living facilities that can serve low-income residents, there won’t be