| One of the fastest growing sectors of the medical | | | | just home health aides leads all medical job categories |
| industry is that of home health. There are many | | | | at a whopping 66.8%! |
| reasons for this growth, but most important are: | | | | One may think the vast majority of home health |
| The number of aging and infirm citizens in the country. | | | | related jobs are lower paying aide jobs. Fortunately, |
| The lower cost of care in relation to hospitals and long | | | | this is not the case. As previously mentioned, private |
| term care facilities. | | | | home health companies will need to increase their |
| The fact health providers consider home care to be | | | | administrative and support positions like medical coders, |
| the most humane and compassionate form of care. | | | | accounting and billing, medical secretaries, nurse |
| Because of the rapid growth in this category of | | | | managers, shift schedulers, information technology and |
| healthcare, a variety of employment opportunities have | | | | marketing. Working for a home health company |
| become available. Many hospitals are turning to home | | | | doesn't necessarily dictate providing direct patient care. |
| health as a method to recapture revenue that would | | | | Even among the patient care positions, there is a lot of |
| be otherwise lost. Despite the efforts of hospitals to | | | | variety. Though patient care is primarily provided by |
| enter the home care market, private companies | | | | lower paid home health aides; as demand increases, |
| dominate home health. Since these are primarily | | | | wages are expected to rise. There are also a lot of |
| businesses that have not been in existence for long, | | | | opportunities for CNAs, LPNs and registered nurses |
| they need to hire not only for in home providers, but | | | | (RNs). Some patients only require short term care - a |
| also for support and administrative positions. | | | | few hours a day, or for a fixed period of time. Others |
| The future demand for home care will be staggering. In | | | | require long term care - 24/7 for the rest of their lives. |
| 1997, over 22.4 million households provided home care | | | | The bottom line is, there are a lot of employment |
| to a loved one over 50. Over time, this drain on | | | | opportunities in the field of home healthcare. The best |
| physical and emotional resources will result in a desire | | | | paying jobs will be those that require some post |
| for outside help in the home. Additionally, Medicare | | | | secondary training. There is also a lot of variety of |
| funding of short term home health care is projected to | | | | work needed, not all employment will provide patient |
| more than double by 2010. Meanwhile, workers | | | | care. If you want a solid future, in one of the most |
| employed in the home health field actually dropped by | | | | stable industries in the country, studying to be part of |
| 29,000 in 2000. The projected employment outlook for | | | | the home healthcare market is a wise choice. |