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Considering a Career in Home Health? I'ts a Great Idea!

Author: MichaelNowling
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The population of the United States is rapidly aging. It's no secret. The "greatest generation" will quickly be a fond memory and the "baby boomers" will begin to populate the retirement communities and care centers. This aging of America is bringing a growing strain to the resources of our medical care facilities. Increased demand is forcing our hospitals and medical centers to be even less personal in their approach to dealing with patients. This can be discouraging for young people seeking careers in health care. They want rewarding personal interactions with patients. That's why many of them are seeking careers in home health.

A significant portion of our most promising heath care professionals are selecting careers in a home health agency. The increasing interest in this career path has much to do with the ability of the health care provider to establish a more personal and rewarding relationship with the patient.

"Working in a home health agency offers some very significant advantages over a hospital or clinic setting," explained Maria Bushebi, Manager of Private Duty for Family Home Care and Hospice, located in Spokane, WA. "Seeing a patient in a home setting allows a nurse or home health aide the time to develop a relationship with the patient, observe the progress of care and make recommendations that may escape the attention of a hospital or clinic based professional. Plus, it's much easier in our system to follow the progress of care and that's a major part of our job satisfaction."

With more than 250 employees, Family Home Care and Hospice is the largest privately owned home health agency in the Inland Northwest. Michael Nowling, company president, is very much aware of the challenges of running a health care business today.

"Staffing any health care delivery organization is a constant effort these days," noted Nowling. "But we do find that we are successfully attracting high caliber health care professionals because of the rewards of working in a system which, by virtue of its delivery model, emphasizes personal care and interaction."

In addition to greater job satisfaction and fulfillment in their patient relationships, home health professionals have much more control over their work hours and schedules than do hospital based workers. This makes the home health agency a great place for family oriented employees. They have a more typical work schedule than other health professionals and can often be available to meet family or social obligations.

Family Home Care is a perfect place for someone with a family," explained Bushebi. "Not only do we have regular hours, but we can quite easily schedule time to attend things like parent-teacher conferences or dental appointments. Flexibility is a tremendous benefit of a career in this industry."

Home health agencies are attracting a large number of mature workers, Bushebi explained. Often these are workers who have raised their families and would like to re-enter the workforce. They like the home health environment because of the personal aspect of the work and the sense of satisfaction it gives them.

"These more mature workers like the home health environment," note Bushebi. "They are responsible workers so the flexibility is a bonus for them and they tend to have a greater appreciation and compassion for the patient's situation. Working in home health gives them a greater sense of satisfaction and accomplishment as they observe the success of their patients."

Health care workers in hospitals and clinics are also moving into home health agencies. Improvements in technologies have seen many of the latest therapies and equipment now moving into home applications.

"Nurses no longer have to be concerned that they're sacrificing the technical expertise they've achieved in working with the latest medical equipment or practicing the newest procedures," Bushebi added. "There is so much of this expertise and technology which can now move seamlessly into a home setting. So, not only do they have an opportunity for rewarding patient relationships, but they also have the satisfaction of staying on top of developments in their profession."

Licenses and certifications are necessary for workers in home health. Training programs which result in licensing for Nursing Assistants are offered by most of the community colleges across the nation and are not expensive. In addition, home care agencies like Family Home Care will often pay for workers to receive this training.

Whether you're just beginning your health care career or are looking to re-enter the workforce, a career in home health will give you the ideal combination of traditional patient care values and cutting-edge technological advances. "Based on my experience at Family Home Care and Hospice," Bushebi concludes, "I would say that a home health career offers everything that a health care worker would want in a rewarding career."

About the Author

Family Home Care and Hospice is the largest privately owned home care agency in the Inland Northwest. Medicare has rated FHC&H as among the top 1% of home health agencies in WA. When you think of home health Spokane, think of Family Home Care.