Want a career in health care?
If you enjoy:
- Working with older adults and people living with a disability
- Helping people live healthy lives as they age
- Talking with diverse people about their lives
- Helping people with everyday activities
Then consider a career supporting the health and well-being of long-term care home residents! Explore the many options available to you below.
This page is part of our Careers in Long-Term Care Initiative.
Explore health care careers
Personal Support Worker
What they do
Personal support workers (PSWs) help residents in LTC with bathing, dressing, brushing their teeth, getting out of bed in the morning and into bed again at night, and moving around the LTC home. PSWs see the same residents every day so they can develop a relationship with residents and report any changes they see.
Learn more about what PSWs do in LTC.
Education required
- College
- Placement
Related careers
- Resident support aide
- Nurse (RN, RPN, NP)
Resident Support Aide
What they do
Resident support aides (also called supportive care assistants, helping hands, PSW assistants) help PSWs and other team members in LTC. They may help get a resident out of bed, help with lifting residents, help residents eat a meal, make beds and tidy rooms, or simply talk with residents so they don’t feel lonely.
Education required
- High school
- On-the-job training
- Supportive Care Assistant Program (optional)
Related careers
Nurse
What they do
Nurses in LTC provide care to residents related to their health. They provide medicine to residents, dress wounds, take blood pressure and take care of other medical needs. There are different types of nurses with different levels of education and experience.
Learn more about what nurses do in LTC.
Education required
- College or University
- Placement
Related careers
- Personal Support Worker
- Director of Care (management)
Geriatrician / Physician
What they do
A geriatrician is a doctor who specializes in the care and treatment of older adults. A doctor who provides medical care to residents in LTC may be a geriatrician or a family doctor (sometimes called a primary care physician). Doctors in an LTC home (attending physician) examine residents regularly, assess resident needs, monitor changes in health status, prescribe medications, treat medical conditions, and contribute to care planning.
Learn more about physicians in LTC.
Education required
- University
- Medical school
- Residency
Related careers
- Nurse practitioner
- Medical director (management)
Pharmacist
What they do
A pharmacist in LTC works with the doctor and nurses to fill prescriptions for residents, monitor and review the various medications each resident takes to make sure there are no harmful drug interactions, destroy drugs that are no longer being used, and contribute to care planning.
Learn more about pharmacists in LTC.
Education required
- University
- Pharmacy program
- Internship/apprenticeship
Related careers
- Pharmacy assistant
- Pharmacy technician
Physiotherapist
What they do
A physiotherapist (PT) in LTC supports residents’ physical well-being by assessing symptoms caused by illness, injury, or disability resulting in pain and limited mobility and then develops a rehabilitation plan so residents can function optimally.
Learn more about what physiotherapists do in LTC.
Education required
- University
- Graduate school
Related careers
- Physiotherapy assistant
- Kinesiologist
- Occupational therapist
- Director of rehabilitation services (management)
Social Worker
What they do
A social worker in LTC supports the mental health and psychosocial needs of residents and family members, provides resources and educational supports to team members, and helps those living with complex needs navigate the system.
Learn more about what social workers do in LTC.
Education required
- University
- Graduate school (optional)
Related careers
- Social service worker
- Administrator (management)
Social Service Worker
What they do
A social service worker helps LTC residents and family members in dealing with personal and social problems through counselling and social support programs.
Learn more about what social service workers do.
Education required
- College
Related careers
- Social worker
Return to the main Careers in LTC page
The webpage is part of the Ontario CLRI at RIA’s Careers in Long-Term Care Initiative
