Why do you work? You might think this is a trick question, but dive below your first answer and give this a moment of thought. The average fulltime employee spends 40 hours a week at their job. Over a lifetime, a fully-employed person works an average of 90,000 hours or nearly one third of their life.
In her book “The Writing Life,” author Annie Dillard notes, “How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives. If you start to sum up your days and realize how much of it is spent working, then all the sudden your work needs to be much more than a paycheck. Your time working comprises a lot of the limited time that is your life.”
In this post, we’ll point to the top 6 reasons that working to bring healthcare to people where they live (aka, home health care) is a truly incredible use of your time that will bring you much more than a paycheck.
You’re in demand. Nobody likes feeling like “a dime a dozen,” and in the healthcare industry, particularly for in-home care, you are a jewel. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for home health aides will increase to as high as 34 percent from 2019 to 2029, much faster than the average for all occupations. As the baby-boom generation ages and the elderly population grows, the need for the services of home health aides andpersonal care aides will continue to increase.
- In-home care is optimal care. For those who truly want their work to have an impact in the lives of others, health care services provided to people in their homes is more effective than in retirement facilities or long-term hospital stays. Per the Institute on Aging, remaining at home is the most desired option among older adults, and aging in place comes with multiple benefits. Research shows that seniors are far happier living at home and that the service received happens to be much more affordable than in the institutional setting. When you bring care to the places people live, they respond better and can stave off facility care longer or indefinitely.
- You build important relationships. Once you’ve onboarded with a service such as Home Health Companions, you’ll build a roster of clients who will come to count on you for care and you’ll establish a relation of trust. These clients won’t be just patients, but people with whom you’ll feel connected knowing that you see them regularly.
- Flexibility in your work. Home health care providers enjoy caring for others and the positive impact of their support. With time, once you’ve established your relationships, you can work autonomously to determine who needs more care and at what time of day. This self-management allows you to work independently and ensures you meet client needs efficiently. You’ll also find that you’re more resourceful in matching care needs and your skills as they evolve, thus build your own self-reliance.
- You will be on the cutting edge of technology advances. After the care of your patients, the most important work of in-home care providers is to document your work and your client’s health data and information. As in-home care continues to increase, technology is ever-changing to help providers bring in the treatments and efficiently document important information in real time. It’s likely you’ll be using the latest and greatest of tech for all parts of care as this market continues to expand.
- You can specialize. With more people using in-home care services, the range of conditions continues to increase as well. Several key areas of medical need begin to arise that require specialized care. If you find you prefer to work with patients who are dealing with specific health concerns, the opportunity to specialize your care for a subset of clients may be an opportunity as you move forward.
You’re in demand.
Your desire to be of service and make the time you invest in work count is noble as well as invaluable to your personal wellbeing. If you work for the paycheck alone and derive little satisfaction from what you do, on the other hand, you are not meant to be a home healthcare provider.
If you want a career that will be in demand and where you can make a difference, you’ll continue to see your fortunes improve in this space. Home health care providers along with several states and federal programs continue to crunch the numbers to find the right balance for salaries and what the market can afford.
The data points to the many benefits of helping people stay at home while receiving medical care. In-home care outpaces long-term care and extended hospitalizations for cost in relation to its benefits. This means you will see an increase in your income with time as you build your career.
Bibliography:
https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/home-health-aides-and-personal-care-aides.htm
https://blog.ioaging.org/home-care/how-cost-effective-is-home-care-compared-to-a-nursing-home/