A Hot Business for 2006: Non-Medical Homecare Business

Looking for a great small business idea? Check out this guest article by Blake Williams about a very promising opportunity!

Home care in the United States is a diverse and dynamic service industry. Approximately 20,000 providers deliver home care services to 7.6 million individuals who require services because of acute illness, long-term health conditions, permanent disability, or terminal illness.

Annual expenditures for home health care are projected to be $48.3 billion in 2007. Home care is a broad term that describes a wide variety of health and health related services provided in the home setting. Home care is health care brought to your home to maintain or restore your health and well-being.

Non Medical Home Care providers represent a rapidly growing trend to allow people needing help to remain in their home or in the community.

The services offered may include meal preparation, Administration of medication, Assistance with activities of daily living (ambulatory care, bathing, grooming, feeding) etc. The providers of Home Care services receive reimbursement directly from families; from other care providers whom they subcontract for or from long term care insurance.

Growth Trends in the industry

Seniors are one of the fastest growing population groups in the United States. The senior population has grown about twice as fast as the overall population since the early 1980s. The growth is also expected to continue early in the second decade of the new century when baby boomers turn 65. Seniors aged 85 and over are the fastest growing segment of the overall senior population.

Consequently, the demand for Non Medical Home Care services is also growing.

According to AARP, as Americans age, most will remain in their own homes. Nearly 7 out of 10 older Americans own their own residence and most have no plans to move. As a result, fewer seniors are getting the help they need with simple daily functioning.

For example, in 1990, 80 percent of seniors needing help to prepare their meals reported that someone was available to help them; by 2001, that had dropped to just 60 percent, according to the National Council on Aging. Overall, from 1988 to 2001 there was a significant decrease in the number of seniors who reported that they had spouses, relatives, friends or neighbors to provide personal care or assistance.

Today, an ever-increasing senior population has fewer resources available to help them with the daily tasks of living. At the same time, older adults have longer life expectancies than ever before. By remaining in their own homes, seniors can retain an important sense of independence.

It is also psychologically beneficial for older adults to remain in familiar surroundings. While their well-meaning children may wish to put them in a retirement home, the fact is that forced relocation can cause some seniors to feel disoriented, depressed and confused.

In addition, there is a significant difference between a senior who simply needs help with personal care and one who requires medical assistance. A relatively healthy older adult who is placed in a facility with those who are far more infirm will feel out of place in such surroundings.

Remaining as independent as possible can boost a senior's overall sense of well-being. Staying in their own home is, in most cases, far more preferable (as well as less costly) than relocating to an assisted living facility. It gives them a sense of empowerment, and allows them to retain close friendships with neighbors.

Until recently, however, few choices were available to seniors who wished to remain at home but did not require medical assistance. Medical Home Care can be costly, since most professionals must be registered nurses or nurses' assistants. In addition, they may balk at performing light housekeeping tasks.

Finally, they rarely have the opportunity to build long relationships with their clients. Often a different professional appears every week, which is disorienting to seniors and prevents establishing a bond with their caregiver.

Your business, Non-medical Home Care, in contrast, is designed to help the older adult with the tasks of everyday living. Non-medical caregivers do not assist with medical procedures, and since they are not registered nurses or medical personnel, their hourly rate is not as high. They also offer the opportunity for steady companionship, as they are generally assigned to specific clients on a long-term basis, enabling a friendship to grow.

Non-medical caregivers can also form strong bonds with the senior's family. Indeed, in order to ensure a good match, it is key that the caregiver interviews with the family as well as the client.

These caregivers can help seniors maintain their independence by taking over the daily tasks that become increasingly difficult with age. They can take the client grocery shopping or to the bank, prepare meals, do light housekeeping and provide daily conversation and companionship.

It is important to note that some Non-Medical Home Care agencies offer companion care only, while others offer both companion and personal care. It is important to check with your state-licensing agency to obtain the appropriate license for the services you will offer.

Not all Non-Medical Home Care agencies can perform personal care services without a licensed.

In the end, Non-Medical Home Care is an option that allows the senior to remain in the home without feeling overwhelmed. The senior receives the assistance and companionship required, the family enjoys peace of mind that a beloved parent, aunt or uncle is not struggling with the simple tasks of everyday living and you get the opportunity to start one of the fastest growing business that will continue to grow well into the future.

It is a "win-win" situation for all.

Blake Williams is the founder of SmallBizGuides.com, several businesses and Web sites. Blake is also a public speaker, and a writer. His typical topics include careers, start-ups, and small business marketing, and project management. Webmasters and other article publishers are hereby granted article reproduction permission as long as this article in its entirety, author's information, and any links remain intact. Copyright 2005 by Blake Williams Media Group, SmallBizGuides.com You can purchase his e-book “How to Start and Run a Successful Non Medical Home Care Business” at http://www.smallbizguides.com Contact Blake at postmaster@smallbizguides.com.