Why the Demand for Home Healthcare Is on the Rise

Plenty of jobs are seeing decreases in demand, even in the seemingly untouchable healthcare industry, but home healthcare is not one of them. On the contrary: the demand for home healthcare professionals is increasing. Many people require home healthcare, either for a short or extended period of time, or even indefinitely, and this group of people continues to grow. It seems that anyone going into the healthcare field right now should consider whether a home healthcare career is right for them. The increasing demand for health care workers in the home can be attributed in part to the large baby boom generation that is now easing into its golden years. More critically and terminally ill people are also choosing to be cared for at home, rather than spending their precious time in a hospital bed or nursing home. People recovering from injuries and surgeries may opt for home health care services, as well. New technology means that even home healthcare procedures are more complex and advanced than ever. Plus, people are living longer than ever, and new cures and treatments are allowing people to survive illnesses and injuries from which they might not otherwise have recovered. All these factors have brought home healthcare to the forefront of the job market. Home health services used to make up a small segment of the healthcare industry, but now home healthcare workers are highly in demand in the United States. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that this increase in patient demand for home healthcare options has led to a boom in this industry, and other sources say it is one of the top jobs in demand for any industry, not just healthcare. So what kinds of jobs are available in the home health care industry? Nurses are enjoying the largest percentage of home health care jobs, ranging from Licensed Vocational Nurses or Licensed Practical Nurses to Registered Nurses to Nurse Practitioners. Salaries vary, depending on what kind of education, training and certification you have. Your geographic location, employer and years of experience will also affect your income potential. Some labor statistics point to as high as 50 percent growth in the home health care industry in recent years. More people are requesting this service than ever before. In response, more people are heeding the call and training for jobs in this field, which require skills in a wide variety of medical procedures for a massively diverse patient population.