Reasons to Consider a Home Healthcare Career

(StatePoint) Those graduating in the spring of 2022 and other job seekers should take note -- industry experts say that not only are home healthcare caregivers needed more now than ever before, but this industry offers many rewarding career paths.

"A growing number of families and medical professionals are discovering that home healthcare is a great option -- and not just for seniors. Home healthcare can be used to treat medical needs across a full continuum of care," says Jennifer Sheets, president and chief executive officer of Interim Healthcare Inc., which is actively recruiting caregivers nationwide.

According to Sheets, here are three of the top reasons home healthcare caregivers are in such high demand today:

1. It's a safe alternative: The pandemic shifted the spotlight to home healthcare as a means to keep loved ones safe. What's more, at-home caregivers are supporting hospital burnout by keeping acute care patients at home, allowing hospital staff to focus on the most critical patients.

2. The role of home caregivers has expanded: The scope of care and services that can be delivered at home has greatly expanded. There are more diverse care needs today, requiring a diverse set of caregivers to fill those needs, including ventilator care, speech therapy, palliative care and more.

3. It can fill a necessary gap: The physical, mental, and emotional demands of caring for family members can be overwhelming, and with the healthcare worker shortage, family caregivers need additional help at home.

Why Home Healthcare? It is an employees market when it comes to working in the home healthcare industry and these positions are very desirable for a number of other reasons, especially for new graduates. Here are just a few:

• With on-the-job training available, a helping career such as a home care aide is emotionally rewarding, and home healthcare provides that same opportunity to make a difference in other people's lives, albeit in a less hectic, more personal environment. Even for current licensed medical professionals, 74% say they have considered a career shift to home healthcare at one point in their medical career, according to an Interim Healthcare study. The COVID-19 pandemic only intensified these considerations for professionals, many of whom in the same survey say home healthcare would be a way to reconnect with why they got into healthcare in the first place.

• Clients depend on caregivers to manage their health and achieve the best results. They appreciate the help, support, care, and connection that comes with home care. Caregivers get one-on-one time with clients so they're able to focus on the care of one individual at a time, and in many cases, they become part of the family.

• The healthcare industry is changing rapidly, which means that home caregivers have continual opportunities to learn new professional skills based on their interests that will help them meet the needs of the industry.

• Careers in-home healthcare is dynamic, interesting, and meaningful. They're also flexible, giving those in the industry the choice of part-time or full-time work, as well as flexibility in location and availability.

Major providers of home healthcare are actively hiring those with healthcare experience and those without, including Interim HealthCare which has locally owned and operated franchises nationwide. To learn more about home care careers, visit ihcmadeforthis.com.

"At a time when families are struggling to find at-home care, you can answer that call for help," says Sheets.