Hiring Boom in Home Care Industry

By Kim Deng Home Care

About 11,000 licensed home-care businesses served 7.6 million people last year, according to the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging. In-home aides are projected to be the second fastest-growing job over the next decade. The government forecasts a 50 percent increase, from 767,000 to 1.2 million jobs.

As older adults decide to “age in place” in their homes, they are increasingly turning to professional in-home aides to help with everyday living. These nonmedical, in-home caregivers don't apply physical therapy, as home health aides do. Rather, they concentrate on personal care, such as bathing, dressing, or just keeping someone company. These services are mostly paid out-of-pocket or with long-term care insurance, though some on lower incomes qualify for help from Medicaid. Private home care costs an average of $18 per hour nationwide.

Though "mom and pop" businesses have dominated home care, entrepreneurs have propelled the recent growth by opening franchises to capitalize on the expected doubling of the older population by 2030.

"Nothing is recession-proof, but home care franchises are faring well in the slow economy because the elderly need help in both good times and bad," said Alisa Harrison, a spokeswoman for the International Franchising Association.

The two biggest challenges for any home care franchisee are cultivating referral sources, such as case managers and social workers, and hiring and supervising caregivers. “Licensed agencies routinely screen their job applicants,” said Anita Bradberry, director of the Texas Association for Home Care, an industry group. Besides checking references, the agencies perform criminal background investigations.

Harley Cohen of the Right at Home organization says they do a “gut check” in hiring their employees: “If we can’t see someone caring for one of our own family members, we don’t hire. It’s not worth the risk.”

10 questions to ask before hiring a home care agency:

How long have you been in business?
Is your agency licensed?
Are your caregivers employees, and are you withholding taxes for them?
Is your agency insured?
How do you screen your caregivers?
What are your fees?
How do you match a caregiver with a client?
If I'm unhappy with a caregiver, how will you find a replacement?
How do you monitor your caregivers?
Will you provide references that I can call?

Source: Dallas Morning News, September 2, 2008

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