Home Care Daily - National Home Care Industry News

As with so many other states across the country, a potential home care shortage is looming. According to some experts, Michigan could face a significant shortage in home health care workers, including aides, nurses, and other providers within just a year and a half, by 2020.

Michael was 73 and widowed when he found himself in the hospital having suffered a stroke. Listening to his doctor report the news and then finding some family surrounding him (having flown in from other regions around the country) it was difficult for him to accept. He never imagined requiring help just getting out of bed, going to the bathroom, or taking a shower. Yet, this was the new reality facing him.

The home health care sector is the fastest growing service industry in the country. The market is anticipated to be worth more than $13.5 billion by 2024. There are numerous factors driving this market growth, not the least of which is a growing aging population in the United States.

Earning a state licensure, Medicare or Medicaid certification or accreditation can be quite intensive for a home care agency. As the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has begun providing a rating system for home care agencies, it becomes crucial for the prosperity and even survival of those companies to be in compliance and have a quality rating. These credentialing surveys, then, become vital to the integrity of the agency itself.

While not many people may be thinking about another housing crisis looming on the horizon, some of the early warning signs have been prevalent for a number of years. For seniors, however, there are a number of factors pressing down on them, not the least of which is their preference to age in place.

It should come as no surprise to individuals who operate within the home health care sector that fraud and abuse can and does happen. As any honest agency owner or caregiver with integrity would admit, that needs to be rooted out as quickly as possible to ensure the safety of all clients, elderly or disabled. Unfortunately, it’s not just clients who are being abused and taken advantage of by some agencies. A recent New York City investigation found that 75% of home care agencies that were investigated had been taking advantage of the caregivers on their staff.

Hurricane Florence is dominating the national news, especially along the East Coast. As of the time of the writing of this article, it was anticipated to make landfall somewhere between the northern coast of South Carolina and anywhere up the coast of North Carolina, including smashing into the Outer Banks. Not only is this hurricane expected to be intense, emergency personnel are warning that the combination of high winds, torrential rain, and possible tornadoes are a recipe for disaster.

It’s late at night. A siren cuts through the still Boston air. Grinding through traffic, long after 8 o’clock, still makes for a slow trip. The paramedics roll to another call, but they’re not just going about their normal routine; they’ll soon be providing direct medical attention and treatment to an individual at home. That aging senior won’t be taking a trip in the ambulance to the hospital; she will be remaining home, so long as no major complications have arisen.