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Second Careers in Home Health Care, Part I

With more and more people retiring at an earlier age, a unique spin-off has been the realization of personal dreams about career changes. If you have ever thought of totally changing your career, or changing job titles within a specific industry, now is a very good time to act on your dream, particularly in the field of home health care.

The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics says that Americans spent more than $40 billion dollars on home health care in 2004. This is up $12 billion dollars from 1990.

There are three reasons for the shift in traditional hospital care to home health care. The first reason is the early discharge of patients from hospitals. The second reason is a growing awareness by patients of hospice eligibility. And, three, there is a shift from nursing facilities for the elderly to receiving care in the patient's own home.

Home health care providers are looking for specific prerequisites in recruiting new employees. They are seeking people who earnestly have the desire to take care of patients, help patients become more independent, and do more than treat a disease or an illness.

Jane Gould, president and Chief Executive Officer of the Visiting Nurse Service Regional Health Care System in New York says, "This field is not going to shrink." According to other experts in the home health care field, home health care is becoming a vital part of the health care industry throughout the United States.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics cites the average national wages of people working in home health care: home health care aide $18,200, licensed practical nurse $33,100, occupational therapist $53,300 and physical therapist $58,700.

For additional information on home health care providers in Canada, go to www.jobfutures.ca. This site offers, salary information, job descriptions, work prospects and gender breakdown in the field.