Before, healthcare was often confined and only administered in a limited number of settings- a doctor’s office, hospital, or clinic. Today, however, the medical care setting now includes minute clinics and even patients’ homes, also known as home health care. With that in mind, health care workers such as nurses have more career choices than ever.
So, if you’re a medical practitioner searching for career options or perhaps, looking for other career development opportunities, then you’re in the right place. This article will share some insights about home health care and reasons to consider a job in home health care.
What Is Home Health Care?
It’s exactly what it sounds like. Home health care is medical care provided in the comfort of a patient’s home. This care can be provided by skilled medical professionals such as nurses and therapists.
While home health care is commonly associated with the medical care and assistance of older adults and seniors, it can also cater to younger patients. And more so, its scope can also cover health care services such as wound care and monitoring of a patient’s health status, especially after an injury. And as such, nurses or physical therapists may look for disability support worker jobs and take care of victims of accidents or disabled patients.
In addition, home health care is also considered a cost-effective alternative to inpatient care. After all, home health care also aims to provide medical care to the patient in terms of treating their injury or chronic medical condition, all at the patient’s preferred setting- home.
Why Should You Consider A Job In Home Health Care?
For those considering a career transition to the home health care setting, here are some of the key benefits of working for an in-home patient.
1. Job Security
The world’s population is rapidly aging. Generally, every country is experiencing a surge in the proportion and number of older people in their population. According to a 2019 study, about 16% of the world’s population will be over the age of 65 by 2050. And in addition, recent statistics reveal that about 15% or over one billion people of the world’s population are experiencing disability.
It’d be worth noting that most seniors and persons with disabilities are opting for home care due to lower costs compared to being admitted to long-term care facilities. For this reason, the demand for skilled home health care professionals can increase. And according to projections, home health care employment in the US is expected to grow by 33% from the year 2020 to 2030.
As such, for healthcare professionals looking for long-term job security, a home health care job can be worth considering.
2. Enjoy Customized And Flexible Career
Working as a home health care professional, you can be in charge of your schedule and are usually free from the strict shift structure of traditional hospital and healthcare settings. And while this may still depend on your organization, instead of getting a 12-hour shift on your feet in the emergency center, you may be driving from one appointment to another, assessing patients’ progress, providing treatments, and educating and counseling.
More so, depending on your organization, you can get part-time or full-time employment options. Once you have a caseload, most agencies will allow you to create a schedule that works best for you and your patient. This flexibility makes home health care ideal for professionals at any stage of their career.
3. Practice Independence And Autonomy
In a traditional hospital setting, healthcare professionals such as nurses or physical therapists are typically part of a larger care team. While they may be able to work independently and act quickly, they don’t usually practice full autonomy.
Meanwhile, home health care professionals have the chance to be more innovative and practice extra levels of adaptability and critical thinking. A home health care provider doesn’t have their co-workers or traditional hospital infrastructure around them. Thus, they can practice and enhance their technical skills, mental flexibility, and adaptability to meet their patient’s needs. More so, this can be a great way to challenge health care professionals to grow and improve their potential.
4. Build Strong Patient Relationship
Home health care allows professionals to see the big picture when it comes to their patients. Coming into their home, you’re able to truly know about your patients, their families, their daily activities and lifestyle, and their story.
It allows you to create rewarding and impactful patient relationships. As a home health care professional, you recognize that your scope goes beyond providing medical care. This is because you get the privilege of making an impact on your patients and their lives and helping them have a better quality of life.
Take Away
A home health care job can be a promising career development opportunity for healthcare providers such as nurses and therapists to expand their medical knowledge and expertise. More so, they’d get to enjoy a flexible working schedule, gain autonomy, and build strong and meaningful relationships with patients.
And with the insights highlighted above, you can make a more informed and solid decision on whether considering a career in home health care is for you.
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