LeadingAge Maryland: Encouraging the Next Generation

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Sarah Hemming, director of member relations and education, wants university students to explore all options in aging services.

Part of Sarah Hemming's role with LeadingAge Maryland involves meeting with Towson University students and asking them to think about pursuing careers working with older adults-something that no one ever suggested to her.

"I wish someone had asked me 'have you considered aging services?' when I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do," said Hemming, director of member relations and education for the state partner association.

Like many in the sector, Hemming said she "fell into" her career path. After graduating from Lancaster Bible College in 2015 with a degree in spiritual formation, she decided to apply for an activities assistant position "on a whim" and was hired. She said, "I had never stepped into an aging services provider of any kind. My grandparents were very healthy and independent. If I'd been asked to define 'dementia' in an interview, I wouldn't have been able to do it."

Touring the senior living community, Hemming said she fell in love with it: "I had no idea that something like this existed."

Hemming continued to build on her passion for working with older adults, moving through different roles; she joined LeadingAge Maryland in August 2020.

When meeting with students at the university in Towson, MD, Hemming said, "I start every presentation by saying, 'If you haven't considered a career in aging services, all I'm asking you to do is ask yourself why.'" With many young people, she finds their lack of knowledge about what it means to serve older adults is pronounced.

"When I talk to students, a lot of what I encounter is ageism and myths," said Hemming. "When I ask them to define aging services, what I hear is nursing home, hospice or end of life. When I start talking about affordable senior housing, or PACE, it's not in their understanding."

Hemming shares with students that some communities have rock-climbing walls, boxing gyms for Parkinson's patients and robots in the dining areas, and "the innovation that's there makes them perk up a bit," she said. "Whatever picture they have in their heads about aging services, I try to refine for them."

Many will tell Hemming they don't want to go into nursing, assuming that's the only option, which gives her the opportunity to talk about the range of other careers in the field. "I spoke to a student recently who is considering a career in insurance, but also is passionate about older adults," Hemming said. "I was telling her about business partners who do incredible work serving this community and encouraging her to consider internships-just basically trying to open her mind to an aging services portfolio that can have a huge impact on older adults."

LeadingAge Maryland accepts two new Towson University interns per year. Per the university's requirement, the internship for seniors is unpaid, and the time commitment is 40 hours per week, which includes a research-based project.

Another segment of the internship involves shadowing Hemming. "I take them with me wherever I go and into as many communities as possible for them to see and experience different environments."

Helping students envision a career pathway in aging services presents Hemming with a challenge. "[Having received a college diploma], there are students who think they are ready for director-level positions," said Hemming. "It can be humbling for them to realize that if they want to be the director of dining, for instance, they are going to start as a prep cook."

Hemming has developed a chart, listing job descriptions for several roles in aging services, to help students visualize the actual path to the job they hope to attain. It includes qualifications such as required years of experience and levels of education. Not surprisingly, the barrier to entry for many young adults is the rate of pay, given the high cost of housing and the fact that many are carrying student loans.

"That's the work I do on the back end: I talk to providers about ways to be creative to bring people into these careers. Can you provide housing? Do you have guest suites? Can you offer them meals for a year?," she said. "It's about finding ways to provide intentional development and bring people into aging services."