As more people in an aging population suffer from dementia, it’s important for healthcare providers to understand how to care for and communicate with these patients. You can improve your caregiving skills with Portland Community College Aging Adult courses.

Dementia is not just one health condition; it’s a collection of conditions that can impact memory and brain function so severely that it affects a person’s daily life. These conditions may include:

Integrative medicine combines Western approaches to medicine with more traditional ways of caring for the body and mind. These practices, when used together, can improve a patient’s quality of life. For instance, cancer patients often need treatment with chemotherapy, a type of Western medicine. However, they can also benefit from nutrition therapy and acupuncture, which can help them keep their energy up and experience less pain.

Updated April 13, 2023

The healthcare field has been growing quickly, and there are constant reminders that we have a healthcare worker shortage. These reasons and its rewarding nature make healthcare a promising field for those just starting their careers and those looking for a new path. Still, misconceptions about healthcare careers abound, and these common ideas can keep people from pursuing a career that could ultimately be high-paying, interesting, and in demand. 

In the growing field of healthcare, you can find a job to fit your needs and skills. Whether you enjoy working face-to-face with people or enjoy focusing on little details, you can find a satisfying. Almost all healthcare careers are taking off, with hundreds or thousands of new positions added every year, so you are unlikely to have trouble finding a job opening for your abilities.

Originally developed for substance-abuse counseling, motivational interviewing is a powerful way to help any type of client to change. It relies on four processes — engaging, focusing, evoking, and planning — to identify and resolve internal conflicts and help motivate the client to change themselves. While the most obvious application of motivational interviewing is for counseling and therapy sessions, other health professionals (for instance, a dietitian) seeking to assist clients in changing behaviors can utilize this method as well.

Clinical evaluations are a tool health care professionals use to help evaluate someone for addiction and addiction treatment. These evaluation help determine if someone has an addiction to alcohol, heroin or other substances. They also help health professionals understand if they are ready to change and are in an environment that supports overcoming addiction.

Clinical research explores new ways to deliver medical care, from new medicines and treatments to improved diagnostic tests. Clinical researchers play a vital role in advancing medical care and improving the health and lives of people across the globe.

Functional nutrition, a type of functional medicine, focuses on using healthy, natural foods to help people improve their health. Functional nutritionists provide flexible, individualized care to each person based on their needs. Each person may have a different functional nutrition treatment based on what will be most effective to improve their physical, mental and even spiritual health.

Every patient has different needs, but these needs extend beyond their health status and physical characteristics. To deliver the highest quality and most personalized care, healthcare professionals must also understand their patients’ cultural needs.

Not all healthcare jobs require years of expensive training. As a phlebotomist (or phlebotomy technician), you can gain an entry-level position in the medical field. You can start a fast-paced, detail-oriented career in phlebotomy where you spend time caring for patients, helping them receive the right care for their needs. These jobs, like other healthcare positions, offer strong job security, good benefits and good pay. Learn more about opportunities offered from the PCC Institute for Health Professionals.