trends Archives - Ella Home Care

January 13, 2020 by Kirk Brechbiel

How to Start a Career as a Personal Caregiver

A career as a personal caregiver can be extremely rewarding and fulfilling. With passion and skill, you can excel in such a career while finding your true calling to help other people improve the quality of their lives.

To become a personal caregiver, there are several important things to consider, and steps to complete in order to ensure you are ready to fill this important role. Take a look as we outline how to start a career as a personal caregiver.

Talk to someone in the field.

First and foremost, you should speak to someone who works as a personal caregiver. They will be able to provide you with helpful insight as to what their day to day responsibilities include. They can also open your eyes to things you may not have considered, both the benefits and the challenges. In doing so, you will be able to set realistic expectations for your career as a personal caregiver.

Gain first-hand experience through volunteering.

Next, you can inquirer with your local hospitals or hospice organizations to see if they accept volunteers in any capacity. Through volunteering your time, you will gain first-hand experience in caring for others. You can also ask local home care agencies if they might allow you to job shadow one of their personal caregivers for a period of time. Again, seeing the job in action will show you things you simply cannot learn from a book or online.

Understand Pennsylvania’s and each Home Care Agency’s employment requirements for caregivers.

Once you’re certain this is the career path you wish to pursue, it’s important to understand the intricacies of Pennsylvania’s and Home Care Agency’s requirements for caregivers. Basic requirements include submitting to a criminal background check, having a valid driver’s license and your own vehicle, having certain health screenings performed, and showing competency in many of the tasks you will perform as a caregiver. You will want to speak with someone at a local home care agency who would also be able to walk you through employment requirements.

Consider additional education and training.

You may also wish to consider additional training which is beyond what the Commonwealth requires, such as your CPR certification, or even earning your Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) degree. Why? This will help you stand out in your career field as qualified and committed. Additionally, it will help you provide the best care to your patients.

Search for open positions for personal caregivers in your area.

Now you’re ready to join the job search! In addition to browsing listings on the well-known job search sites, be sure to do your own research by asking people you know about the home health agencies who have good reputations and who they might recommend. It’s important that agencies and their caregivers align with their mission to serve others, as this ensures a successful and enjoyable work environment for all.

Make a list of pros and cons for each offer, and accept the job that is the right fit for you.

Once you have narrowed down your search, conducted interviews, and have received one or more offers, you’re ready to make a final decision as to where you wish to start your career as a personal caregiver. If considering more than one option, make a list of pros and cons for each. Really think through what’s most important to you. Location? Work hours? Benefits? Starting salary? It’s expected you may need to compromise on some items on your career “wish list.” Focus on your must-haves, and be flexible with the rest.

Are you interested in becoming a personal caregiver? We would love to provide you with more information and help you take the first step on this journey. Contact us today to learn more!

January 6, 2020 by Kirk Brechbiel

A New Year for In-Home Personal Care: How We Expect the Industry to Change in 2020

With the start of any new year, it’s expected that things will change over the course of the next 12 months. The home care industry is no exception. Thanks to technology, changing policies, and the growing need for in-home personal care, the home care industry has changed quite a bit throughout recent years. Take a look at additional changes we expect to take place in 2020 and beyond!

Changes to Medicare Advantage Coverage

Over the course of the last 10 or so years, big policy changes have taken place that stand to impact the home care industry, and it seems some important pieces are coming together at once. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 and the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 aims to move Medicare away from fee-for-service models and toward value-based care.

What does this mean for the home health agency and the people it serves?

Most recently, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has made rule changes aimed at bringing home care into the Medicare Advantage (MA) fold. The first change, announced in 2018 for 2019, reinterpreted the standards for health-related supplemental benefits to include additional services “that increase health and improve quality of life, including coverage of non-skilled, in-home supports.”

The second, announced in 2019 for 2020, expanded the definition of supplemental benefits to include any services that “address social determinants of health for people with chronic disease.” This will open a wide door for home care services to be considered for coverage under MA, which could give the industry a big boost while benefiting patients receiving care in their homes.

Shifting Focus Toward Proactive Care

The US health care system is moving away from treating people only when they’re sick, and instead focusing on proactively keeping them well. This is an encouraging and highly beneficial shift that stands to benefit many, many people.

For the home care industry, we aim to support this same mission – keeping people safe and well in their homes. By providing non-medical care, specifically around household activities, mobility and self-care, the home care industry and personal caregivers will play a large role in the shift toward proactive care.

More Support for People Aging In-Home

A May 2019 study from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health estimated a hypothetical incremental cost savings of $4 billion in Medicare spending if community-living adults 65 or older with disabilities received non-medical care, specifically around household activities, mobility and self-care.

This is an incredible cost savings that will also help to produce the best quality of life for individuals wishing to age in their own homes for as long as possible. And the home care industry makes this possible! As more and more eyes are opened to the value of personal caregivers providing non-medical care, there will be an increase in demand for such services, meaning more jobs and industry growth.

Which of these changes do you think will have the greatest impact on the home care industry in 2020 and beyond? Do you have another prediction to share?

Join in the conversation by leaving a comment below.

February 5, 2019 by Kirk Brechbiel

New Trends that are Reshaping In-Home Care

Both technology and healthcare are changing at rapid rates for our country. With these changes come opportunity for growth and development, especially for in-home care. As we move into 2019, there are some important new trends that are sure to change the way we view and use in-home care. The good news is these trends are likely to make in-home care more accessible for our aging loved ones so that they can fulfill their desire to age gracefully and comfortably in their home. Let’s take a look at what they are.

Embracing the Use of “Wearables”

Home monitoring devices or “wearables” will increasingly provide a broad range of health care options for older adults, their caretakers, and their health care providers. Beyond basic medical alert devices, like Life Alert, technology has advanced into the monitoring of chronic conditions. For example, EKGs have been implanted in smartphones and can be activated along with pocket-sized electrodes when patients begin to experience symptoms of atrial fibrillation. Additionally, diabetes monitors can provide patients with real-time glucose levels. Technology is now looking to expand into a next level of sensors that may provide physicians with information about diet, activity levels and stress to provide a complete picture of a patient’s condition.

Interacting with Technology

With the recent surge of in-home, interactive technology such as Amazon’s Alexa and Google Home, more and more seniors are benefitting from the use of this technology. Through a variety of apps, they can track and record their own daily health notes, have easier access to call a family member or alert 911 in a time of need, and can use the device for entertainment. While technology will never replace the need for interaction with other people, Alexa and Google Home can provide just one more way aging adults can feel connected to the world around them, even if they may not be able to get out as frequently as they would like.

Increasing Value for In-Home Care

Hospitals and health systems now, more than ever before, have realized the extreme value that in-home care provides. Patients who have the support of in-home care are less likely to have an accident or medical emergency when they have the oversight of regular in-home care. In return, this reduces the patient’s risk of needing to receive emergency care from a hospital. Even when a patient does need to seek care from a hospital, upon return to their home, they have a better chance of smooth recovery with help at home. For these reasons hospitals and health systems realize the value in-home care plays in the full spectrum of continuing care.

Growing Demand for Caregivers

And with the increased value of in-home care, demand is on the rise as well. As a result, the demand for professional caregivers is also growing. This demand is sure to re-shape in-home care as organizations who provide such care must change the way in which they recruit and retain quality caregivers. Additionally, for those passionate about pursuing a career as a caregiver, there will be more opportunity to work in this field and help serve others.

Combined, these trends stand to have a large impact on in-home care both now and well into the future. As technology continues to change at a rapid rate, and other health systems as well as individuals recognize the value that in-home care provides, there is room for substantial growth for the home health industry. Regardless of where the future leads us, what’s most important is that all organizations and industries who serve our aging community seek collaborative solutions to increase the quality of life for our senior adults.

What trend do you find most promising or interesting?

September 14, 2017 by Kirk Brechbiel

Home Care Trends That Are Changing the Industry

Technology, economy and government are three major forces that impact just about everything in their way, and that most certainly includes the home care industry. The changes that have been recently made to America’s healthcare system, and the many more ideas that have been discussed as potential future changes, have already begun to cause a ripple effect – both good and bad.

Let’s take a look at the new trends that are changing the home care industry in Central Pennsylvania and beyond.

Technology Enabling People to Live at Home Longer

There has been a boom in technology designed to help keep people living independently in their home for as long as possible. Apps like Go-Go Grandparent connect seniors with ride sharing services like Lyft and Uber. Additionally, technology now allows families to be connected through customer portals to see when a caregiver is scheduled, confirm their arrival and note when the caregiver leaves. At Ella Home Care, we provide this feature to all of our clients and have found the peace of mind it provides to be invaluable.

Advancement of Telemedicine

As seniors wish to remain in their homes longer, the need for telemedicine is critical. Especially when these people live in rural and remote areas that lack sufficient healthcare services, the advancement and access to telemedicine is increasingly important. Wearable devices, smartphones that function as diagnostic tools and digital therapy and advice that allow doctors to communicate with patients without needing to see them in an office are just a few of the many advances in telemedicine that have hit the market recently.

Collaboration Among Providers

Collaboration is another growing trend. Now more than ever, primary care providers, hospitals, skilled nursing and rehabilitation settings, as well as home health and private duty home care providers are working together to provide a fluid continuum of care. Keeping open communication between all of these entities helps to provide the best care possible for the patient. The shared end goal for this collaboration is to keep patients safely living in their home, while reducing the need for readmissions to the hospital.

Growing Demand for Qualified Caregivers

The home health industry as a whole is experiencing a growing demand for quality caregivers. The need is mostly due to the rise in the number of baby boomers who wish to remain in their homes as long as possible, thus requiring in-home care. All private-duty agencies, along with other healthcare providers, are fishing from the same pool of talent. Because of this, many private duty agencies are setting a minimum weekly commitment of hours from the consumer, or turning down services altogether because staff is not available. To help remedy the staff shortages, some agencies are now working together to share staff or share consumers, just so the consumer needs are met.

What trend in home care do you find most interesting? Share your thoughts by leaving a comment below!

How to Start a Career as a Personal Caregiver

A New Year for In-Home Personal Care: How We Expect the Industry to Change in 2020

New Trends that are Reshaping In-Home Care

Home Care Trends That Are Changing the Industry

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