The Chapel Hill News &c contributed articles in May of 2021 to the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) website, “retiring at home: advice for a successful retirement”. Retired persons have their own set of unique challenges, and they will be able to identify them through personal experience. One of the articles noted was the retirement community of Gastonville, NC. Here are some of the issues and concerns of the community that might be of use to other retired persons: The lack of retail shopping. The unfortunate shortage of qualified doctors in certain medical specialties.
Retirees might consider a medical assistant certification program. Many medical specialties provide training and certification, including pediatrics, orthopedics, physical therapy, neurology and much more. The training, of course, should be offered by accredited schools in the community itself. In terms of finding jobs, the community itself, with its abundance of professionals, is not short of work. But, there are also several job fairs held yearly in the community to allow experienced professionals to meet with those who are looking for new professionals.
Another issue of interest to those in the medical profession was the proposed merger of four major hospital chains in the area. The owners of these companies are seeking to bring the traditions of their parent companies under their umbrella. This would be positive for employees who want to continue working under unified management and for retirees looking to downsize. It is hoped that the new company will develop quality care, as it is known to do.