8. Good Work in Elder Care

One-on-one work with a disabled or impaired older individual can be tremendously rewarding.

This is a realm in which your own judgment, life experience, patience and humor can make a real difference in someone's life. Indeed, many midlife men and women who have informally provided care for a family member discover in themselves an aptitude for this kind of interpersonal care and grow interested in it as a new career.

You'd be right if you assumed that this area of work might entail meal preparation, shopping, making appointments, and providing transportation to and from doctors' appointments, as well as companionship and personal care.

There may also be a place in the world of elder care for other kinds of contributors: storytellers, oral historians to record the memories of older folks, yoga teachers and line dance instructors, not to mention people who can teach computer skills.

With the success of pilot projects that bring children and mature adults together in schools and daycare centers, intergenerational programs may also generate jobs for retired grade school teachers, instructional assistants, librarians, and psychologists.