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As Careers in Aging Week 2023 comes to a close, I am reminded of how important it is for the veterans in our field to look to our next generation of leaders, service personnel, volunteers and others who have a passion for helping older adults. The "how I found my way to working with older adults" stories flow freely among those of us in the industry.
My own story was a collection of moments and people who greatly impacted my life as a young person. It started with an educator who gave an assignment to find an older person in our community and interview them about their past life experiences. Little did I know how much I would be drawn to the story and how impactful that assignment would be over the course of my lifetime. As time went on, I worked in the medical field, primarily with older persons. Life then took me on a personal journey where I encountered firsthand how Alzheimer's and related dementias could affect not only the life of the person afflicted but their family and caregivers. Couple those things with life lesson experiences with older family members and I couldn't escape my career destiny. As all things come full circle, I was blessed when that educator from my youth and I crossed paths and I was able to express how much her challenge impacted my life.
Young adults looking for a career path don't always have the same opportunities that lead to routine interactions with older family members as my family structure permitted, therefore, not as many young adults consider a career path in the aging field. Opportunities for my peers and me to share fulfilling, mission-driven work in the aging arena and the fun work experiences we have on a daily basis should be taken advantage of.
Gerontology is a normal thought process when most think of career paths in the aging field, yet many don't consider senior services. The O'Neill Center and our partners -- Washington-Morgan Community Action and AmeriCorps Seniors -- provide adult day care, non-emergency medical transportation, homemaker services, Meals on Wheels and congregate dining and volunteer opportunities. Careers in direct service, marketing, funding and finance, dietary, nursing, social work, life enrichment and many more are available right here in Washington County.
If you have a younger adult who may be on the cusp of exploring career path options, encourage them to become involved in aging by suggesting they attend an intergenerational program at the O'Neill Center in Marietta or the Belpre Senior Center this summer. Volunteer opportunities also abound. We are always looking for youth who are willing to share their talents, no matter what they may be. We invite everyone to explore what fun, fabulous 50+ looks like!
O'Neill has two locations to better serve you. We can be found on the corner of Fourth and Scammel streets in Marietta and on Washington Boulevard in Belpre in front of Howe's Grove Park. If you haven't visited the O'Neill Center recently, I invite you to stop by your O'Neill Center and see what we have to offer those age 50+ living in our communities.
Connie Huntsman is executive director for the O'Neill Center, located at 333 Fourth St. in Marietta. She can be reached at chuntsman@oneillcenter.com or 740-373-3914.