Jobs in Home Care

With the number of baby boomers continuing to rise every year, the category of home health care job is predicted to be one of the fastest growing over the next decade. High school graduates looking for a career choice and others in career transition can find a home health care job to be a satisfying way of making a living.

A home health care job involves providing daily care for an elderly, disabled or chronically ill individual who is still living in the comfort of their own home rather than in a nursing home or assisted living facility. Most home health care workers, also called home health care aides or assistants, visit during daytime hours and then go back to their own home, although some home health care jobs may require evening visits or a live-in situation. A home health care job involves helping the client with daily grooming and bathing needs, helping the client to dress, preparing and serving nutritious meals, running errands, making sure the client takes daily medication, coordinating visits from other healthcare professionals such as physical therapists, and transporting the client to the doctor’s office for check-ups.

The best way to find a home health care job is through an agency that specializes in matching the right worker with the right situation. Most applicants for a home health care job must be high school graduates, must be willing to undergo a background check, and must be willing to be bonded, which is a form of insurance. Some home health care agencies offer training, although no licensing in needed in most states to serve as a home health care worker, although certification is required if the agency is funded by Medicare.

A home health care job requires physical strength as well as emotional patience for dealing with ill patients on a day to day basis. A home health care job can provide the worker with a flexible schedule rather than the traditional 9 to 5 job in a clinic or hospital setting. A home health care job can be a temporary assignment, pursued on a part time basis or a full 40 hour week with benefits.

Although the hourly wage for a home health care job is usually a little more than minimum wage, home health care aids who have training in other specialties such as physical therapy or nursing can command higher wages.