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Career Information for Long Term Care Administrators

Long term care administrators oversee the daily operations at nursing homes, hospices, assisted living facilities, rehabilitation centers, adult day care centers and other long term care facilities. They develop and implement strategies that improve the quality of care for residents and patients, which often requires working closely with medical staff, volunteers, community leaders and company representatives.1

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What Does a Long Term Care Administrator Do?

A long term care administrator's duties may include:2

  • Hiring, training and supervising staff
  • Supervising resident and patient care
  • Working to improve quality and efficiency of services
  • Business planning and budget development
  • Marketing and community outreach
  • Overseeing inventory and purchasing
  • Ensuring compliance with professional, state and federal regulatory requirements

For health care professionals looking to enter a fast-growing field that provides the opportunity to impact countless patients and residents, long term care administration is a rewarding health care career.

Education Requirements

Because long term care administrators need a thorough understanding of federal, state and local standards for long term care, most facilities require at least a bachelor's degree in a related field3 such as National Louis University's B.S. in Health Care Leadership, which now offers a concentration in long term care.

NLU's Long Term Care Concentration is designed for health care professionals who want to advance to a management or administrative role in a long term care facility. Consisting of four courses offered online or in a convenient, blended format, the Long Term Care Concentration prepares students for licensing by the National Association of Long Term Care Administrator Boards (NAB).

Career Outlook

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts employment of medical and health services managers to grow 17 percent through 2024, which is much faster than average for all occupations. This is largely due to the aging baby-boom population, which is creating greater demand for health care workers and the administrators who manage them. As the baby boomers age, there should also be increased demand for nursing care facility administrators.4

In May 2015, the median annual wage for medical and health services managers was $94,500, with the highest 10 percent earning more than $165,380. The median annual wages for medical and health services managers by industry in May 2015 were:5

  • Hospitals (state, local, private): $102,060
  • Government: $101,190
  • Physicians' offices: $85,600
  • Home health care services: $82,430
  • Nursing & residential care facilities: $78,540

The majority of medical and health services managers work full-time, with about one in three working more than 40 hours per week.6

Learn More About Long Term Care Administration

Source References [+]
    1. "Long Term Care Administrator Salary." PayScale.com. http://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Long_Term_Care_Administrator/Salary
    2. Smith, Dee Dee. "Job Description of a Long-Term Care Administrator." Chron.com. http://work.chron.com/job-description-longterm-care-administrator-16264.html
    3. Smith, Dee Dee. "Job Description of a Long-Term Care Administrator." Chron.com. http://work.chron.com/job-description-longterm-care-administrator-16264.html
    4. "Medical and Health Services Managers: Job Outlook." BLS.gov. 17 December 2015. http://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/medical-and-health-services-managers.htm#tab-6
    5. "Medical and Health Services Managers: Pay." BLS.gov. 17 December 2015. http://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/medical-and-health-services-managers.htm#tab-5
    6. "Medical and Health Services Managers: Pay." BLS.gov. 17 December 2015. http://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/medical-and-health-services-managers.htm#tab-5
Locations

  • CHICAGO DOWNTOWN CAMPUS

    NLU’s Chicago campus on South Michigan Avenue occupies five floors of the historic Peoples Gas Building. This landmark building, across the street from the Art Institute of Chicago and Grant Park, is easily accessible by train, bus and car and is surrounded by restaurants, parking lots/garages and shops.

    122 S. Michigan Avenue
    Chicago, IL 60603
    (888) 658.8632
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  • ELGIN

    Conveniently located in a fast-growing business district off I-90 and Route 31, NLU Elgin features 10 classrooms with high-tech media equipment; a computer lab with high-speed Internet access; two conference rooms; and comfortable student lounges. Parking is free at this recently remodeled and upgraded teaching site, which now includes wireless Internet access.

    620 Tollgate Road
    Elgin, IL 60123
    (888) 658.8632
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  • NORTH SHORE

    Opened in the summer of 2006, NLU North Shore at Skokie is a state-of-the-art modern campus located just off the Edens Expressway near the Old Orchard Shopping Center. The campus includes 44 wireless classrooms equipped with high-tech media equipment; four computer labs with high-speed Internet access, including a walk-in lab in the library; six conference rooms; a public café for beverages and snacks; a student welcome center; a library for research and study; and multiple, comfortable student lounge areas.

    5202 Old Orchard Road
    Skokie, IL 60077
    (888) 658.8632
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  • LISLE

    Located just minutes from the East-West Tollway (I-88), NLU Lisle features 42 wireless classrooms equipped with high-tech media equipment; four computer labs with high-speed Internet access, including a separate walk-in lab in the library; a café for beverages and snacks; a student welcome center; a library for research and study; conference rooms; and six comfortable student lounge areas with wireless access.

    850 Warrenville Road
    Lisle, IL 60532
    (888) 658.8632
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  • WHEELING

    Located in one of Chicago's major northwest suburbs, the newly renovated NLU Wheeling includes 20 classrooms with high-tech media equipment, four conference rooms, four computer labs with high-speed Internet access, large student lounge areas with wireless capabilities and interactive video capabilities, and an extensive research library. The site also houses the university library research collection.

    1000 Capitol Drive
    Wheeling, IL 60090
    (888) 658.8632
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  • FLORIDA (TAMPA)

    Established in 1988 and located in one of Tampa's major business districts, NLU's Florida Regional Center serves students in 13 counties in central Florida. In addition to its classrooms, the National Louis University Tampa Regional Center features a computer lab, student lounges, and conference room.

    5110 Sunforest Drive, Suite 102
    Tampa, FL 33634
    (800) 366.6581
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