Compassionate entrepreneurs looking for an industry with plenty of forecasted growth will find it the home health care field. A recent report from PHI—an organization committed to advocacy and policy research related to direct care workers—predicts the home care workforce will add more than one million additional jobs before 2028. That’s more than the second- and third-fastest growing occupations combined. With more than 70 percent of those jobs expected to be personal care aides, a franchise opportunity like ours at Homewatch CareGivers® provides a prime, well-supported entry point into this rapidly expanding industry.
Growing Demand for Home Care Workers
The 2019 PHI report, titled “Envisioning the Future of Home Care: Trends and Opportunities in Workforce Policy and Practice,” finds that adults living at home who require some form of assistance with daily living number around 15 million. The degree of assistance needed varies, with some requiring help to perform such essential tasks as eating or bathing and others simply needing assistance with independent-living activities including cooking, driving, managing medications, and the like. While individuals 18 to 64 years old still outnumber those 65 and older by approximately half a million, that balance is expected to shift in the coming years as the population ages.
What this means for the home health care industry is that, as more adults need assistance, more home care workers will be required to fill that need. The industry has already seen demonstrable, explosive growth, with the home care workforce growing from 898,600 workers in 2008 to nearly 2.3 million workers in 2018—more than double in a 10-year period.
The Importance of Reliable, Accessible Care
When it comes to finding accurate statistics about caregivers, one of the difficulties cited by the study is the fact that many caregivers are unpaid family members and close friends or individuals who are directly or privately employed. This would indicate the number of home care workers is even larger than reported. Respite care—temporary, alternative care that allows unpaid caregivers to take a break—is another important facet of the home care workforce that may not be accounted for in such studies.
Because there is such a large need, and because the role can be physically or emotionally demanding, it can be challenging to find a home care workers who are well trained and who have the support to provide reliable ongoing care. Seniors and their families looking for quality in-home care may not know where to find it. We equip franchise owners with Care to Stay, a strategic approach to recruiting, empowering, developing, and retaining quality caregivers, which allows seniors and their families to trust and rely on the care workers they find through Homewatch CareGivers®.
Homewatch CareGivers® Is Filling the Need for Paid In-Home Care Workers
Trends predicted by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics support the shifting preferences toward in-home care and “aging in place.” The BLS expects the home care industry to grow by one million jobs between 2018 and 2028, while predicting only 138,900 additional jobs for assisted living facilities and retirement communities and 19,300 fewer nursing assistant jobs in nursing homes during that same period. This means there is a strong need for well-trained and supported in-home care workers.
Home care franchising models like Homewatch CareGivers® are a rising trend in the home care sector, because they are able to fill a growing need and provide reliable, reputable care. From the beginning, our focus has been on supporting our franchise owners with the tools, coaching, and initiatives needed to recruit and retain exceptional caregivers, who will in turn provide empowering, person-directed services to seniors and other adults in need of assistance. By becoming a Homewatch CareGivers® franchise owner, you can be a part of a meaningful industry with a bright outlook.
Explore our home care franchise opportunity today. Find out more by calling (888) 718-5318 or requesting information online.
