In the past decade, the number of individuals over 65 has increased by over a third. As the U.S population gets older, the need for home healthcare workers escalates.
A Home health aide assists disabled, impaired, elderly, and chronically ill individuals. They help clients with the daily tasks that have become too difficult for them to perform alone. These may include bathing, dressing, grooming, house cleaning, cooking, or other chores.
Home health aides work with an agency that provides them with training, but they do not need formal education in the medical field. Thus, it is an excellent job for those who never had the opportunity to go to college or those currently pursuing a degree.
Are you looking for a new job opportunity? If so, consider some of the reasons that have influenced many individuals to make caregiving their full-time career!
1. Make a Difference Every Single Day
When you become a home care worker, an agency will assign you to clients who need your help. They may not have anyone else who can care for them, so your assistance can provide them with a better life.
Other times, clients’ family members are worn out and need assistance. They, too, will appreciate your role and benefit from the relief you provide.
No matter the situation, you will have a sense of accomplishment and know that the work you do helps someone and makes a difference in their life.
2. Help Patients Avoid Institutionalization
Without family members that can care for them, many individuals face the possibility of being placed in a full-time living facility, such as a nursing home. New surroundings may be difficult for those will disabilities to adjust to, and it can even negatively impact their health.
However, home health care can be a great alternative that allows these individuals to stay in their own home’s comfort. It is especially beneficial during the current pandemic since nursing homes face a higher risk of outbreaks. No doubt, your clients and their families will appreciate your role in keeping their loved ones safe at home.
3. Provide Companionship
Sometimes, clients’ family members lead busy lives. They can’t always visit their loved ones every day. You may end up spending more time with these individuals and being a source of companionship.
While this is not the primary objective of your job, clients can certainly benefit from your company. Those who are elderly and ill are more likely to become depressed, especially if they are lonely.
While depression is always concerning, it is a particular concern for elderly patients because it increases the risk of other diseases, such as Alzheimer’s.
The relationship you have with your clients can help them to stay healthier and fight illnesses. That’s certainly something about which you can feel good!
4. Make Your Client’s Life More Manageable
We take for granted our ability to manage our daily activities. For many individuals, taking care of themselves is impossible. It may be due to a lack of mobility, injury, or other disabilities.
Home health aides help them maintain their hygiene by assisting them with baths, grooming, or getting dressed. They do their laundry or help them clean their homes. They may even help them cook healthy meals.
5. Gain Experience and Learn New Skills
If you are interested in pursuing a medical field career, your work as a home health aide is a great place to start. Experience in the medical field will look great on your application to a college. It will also help you develop qualities needed in the health care sector, such as empathy and compassion.
If you choose to pair your work as a home health care worker with your studies, it can help you decide your specialty. Perhaps you would like to become a geriatric nurse who focuses on caring for elderly patients.
Alternatively, you may want to be a developmental disability nurse, working with a wide range of ages. As a home health aid, you will have the ability to work with these types of clients, which would undoubtedly help you decide if this is the right path.
6. Job Growth
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, authorities expect the job outlook for home health aides and personal care aides to grow 34% in the next decade. This percentage of growth is much faster than average. Thus, if you choose a home health aide career, you won’t have to worry about a shortage of job opportunities in your sector.
The cause of this growth is the aging of baby boomers (people born between the years 1946 and 1964). As they age, they need more assistance and care, spiking an increase in home health care jobs. This increase will only grow as these individuals reach their eighties and nineties.
Of course, older individuals are not the only ones who need home health aides. Those who have disabilities, whether physical or mental, also need assistance. The number of individuals with disabilities is also on the rise.
These statistics are evidence of the need for willing individuals to care for the elderly and disabled.
7. Flexible Schedule
Perhaps you have responsibilities to care for and cannot work the conventional nine to five schedule. If so, being a home health aide may be just the job you need.
Home health aides can make their own schedules. They can work part-time, full-time, days, or nights. Thus, it is a great career decision for those enrolled in college, raising a family, or working another job.
Your Career as a Home Health Aide
Without a doubt, there are many reasons to become a home health aide. If you choose to embark on this career path, you will experience many new opportunities and rewards.
To get started, get in contact with a local home health agency. They can inform you of their requirements and what you’ll need to do before starting your new career.
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