Essential Information
Assisted living administrators oversee day-to-day operations and supervise clinical staff at assisted living and long-term care facilities. Many aspiring professionals begin their education by earning a bachelor's or master's degree in a field like health care administration or health sciences management.
A graduate certificate program in assisted living administration, which usually consists of about 15 credit hours, teaches individuals to analyze data related to aging populations. Students also learn to supervise personnel, handle the intake of new patients, and develop strategic management plans.
Some schools require that incoming students have at least two-years experience in the health care industry and a bachelor's degree. Certificate programs are typically offered by 4-year colleges and universities. Most states require certification or licensure for assisted living administrators.
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Assisted Living Administrator Graduate Level Certification
In these programs, students learn about the regulations and patient care procedures that relate specifically to the elderly and those suffering from age-related conditions, such as dementia. Other topics discussed are:
- Alzheimer's disease and related conditions
- Management of assisted living facilities
- Strategic management principles
- The U.S. health system
- Counseling for terminally ill patients
Employment Outlook and Salary Info
Medical and health services managers held 314,950 positions in the United States in 2014, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (www.bls.gov). The mean annual salary for these professionals was $106,070 in May 2015.
Certification and Licensure Information
Certification or licensure requirements for assisted living administrators vary by state. Most have minimum education requirements, in addition to requiring completion of a state-sponsored training program. Several states also use the Nursing Home Administration's Residential Care/Assisted Living Examination as a required or voluntary measure of competence. Independent organizations and businesses, such as the Center for Health Services Education and Research, also offer voluntary certification for those in the profession.
Graduate certificate programs in assisted living administration prepare students for leadership roles in the field, as they learn about age-related illnesses and conditions, management techniques, counseling methods and human resource operations. Students are required to gain state certification or licensure before seeking employment.
