Home health care is a hot topic. But do you really know what it entails? On a basic level, home health care allows seniors to age with independence and dignity in the comfort of their own home rather than move into a nursing home or assisted living facility.  It can also provide respite care for family caregivers; who may be taking care of a senior loved one. In addition to seniors, home health care can also be used to assist people living with multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, and other mobility restricting conditions, as well as injured veterans and new moms.

Growing Demand

There is a huge demand for home health care among older Americans, and for good reason. Baby boomers are reaching senior status and living longer, creating an upsurge in the number of older Americans. Right now, about 15 percent of the population is 65 or older. By 2030, all baby boomers will be older than 65. By 2050, that number is expected to balloon more than 20 percent! Within just a few decades, older Americans are projected to outnumber children for the first time in United States history.

Home health care is the growing preference for those who need it as it enables them to stay in a familiar home environment as they age. In fact, almost 90 percent of baby boomers want to stay at home as long as possible — even if they need assistance to do so. This is especially helpful for those who have memory issues. It is comforting to remain in known surroundings and allows people to keep an essential part of their identity.

“They want to be at home around their things, in their castle,” says Lori Yount, Vice President of Operations of CareBuilders at Home, quoted in a recent article in Forbes. “The benefit of home health care is that we enable people to stay at home and age in place independently for as long as they want.”

Types of Home Health Care

There are two main types of home health care — medical and non-medical.

Medical Home Health Care – This type of care is for people recovering from surgery or who need lifelong medical assistance for a permanent illness or disability. In this case, the care must be provided by a registered nurse. This includes injections, IV treatments, and physical therapy.

Non-Medical Health Care – Also known as companion care, this type of care involves highly skilled and qualified caregivers going into the home to assist with activities of daily living. This can include help with light housekeeping, preparing nutritious meals, shopping for groceries, ensuring medications are taken properly, aiding in personal hygiene, and accompanying clients to doctor’s appointments or social activities.

How Does Home Health Care Work?

Home care agencies will visit with the potential client in their home to find out what type of home health care assistance is needed. They will also do a home safety assessment to determine what modifications might be needed to make the home less dangerous for a senior. It could be anything from removing throw rugs that pose a fall or trip hazard to the suggestion of installing grab bars in the shower.

Once the type of care needed is determined and the number of days and hours decided on, the home health care representative will begin matchmaking the client with a caregiver. The relationship between a caregiver and the client is very special and is not based only on completing tasks and chores. The home health care representative will get insight into the client’s personality, habits, and likes and dislikes in order to select the best caregiver.

Home Health Care as a Potential Business Opportunity

Home care is a 93-billion-dollar industry in the United States and based on the projected number of people turning 65 in the next few decades, it will continue to grow rapidly. With such growing demand, it’s hard not to see home health care as a potential business opportunity. Whether it be in times of economic boom or times of recession, home care isn’t a luxury — it’s a necessity and essential — which is the key to a solid business. If you are considering establishing your own home health care business, now is the time — before there is a boom on senior care providers, too.

A home health care franchise offers a fantastic gateway to those who are interested in getting involved in the lucrative senior care market.

CareBuilders at Home is a successful franchise brand that offers crucial advantages and a proven business model to help entrepreneurs accelerate growth and increase their chances of success.

The training provided by CareBuilders at Home is designed to teach franchise owners everything they’ll need to know about the senior care business — taking them from industry beginner to home care expert in no time. One unique aspect of the CareBuilders at Home model is that it is the only franchise system in the home care industry that provides complete back-office assistance to franchise partners.

Click here to learn more about the opportunities available at CareBuilders at Home.