For the longest time, home care providers were just trying to gain a foothold in the broader health care sector.
Now times have changed, as home care services have proven to be an integral part of the overall system, especially during the public health emergency.
And with changing times comes evolution. For home care leaders, this means identifying what types of investments will move the needle forward for their companies. Some have set their sights on beefing up their telehealth services, while others are positioning themselves to tackle the growing needs of seniors living with dementia.
To get a better understanding of where home care companies are headed, Home Health Care News asked leaders in the space to tell us about the service lines they want to invest in — or are already investing in — and why it’s important for their businesses.
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Our relatively young home care industry has earned a critical seat at the continuum-of-care table. Even if we weren’t there before, the pandemic and the age-in-place phenomenon certainly put us there. In the coming years, we are going to play an even greater role as the baby boomers — followed by Gen X — continue to move towards the later years of their lives.
We especially need to focus on dementia-related care. The Alzheimer’s Association shared last week that as the nation’s 65+ population grows from 58 million today to 88 million by 2050, the number of people with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia will more than double to 13.8 million. By 2030, the number will increase from 6.1 million today to 8.5 million.
To be ready, we need to expand our understanding of the disease and dementia-related care. We must also continuously update the care options and programming. For example, Synergy HomeCare is rolling out an updated memory-care program for our more than 400 franchisees. We have added a variety of new caregiver trainings, access to remote patient monitoring devices and robotic companion pets, as well as other tools and resources. We are also providing marketing materials to attract caregivers and enhance our ability to engage and assist adult children and referral partners.
We know we will have to continue to evolve the program and constantly review it to ensure our franchisees have the greatest opportunity to provide outstanding care. As science evolves and needs change, we have to be ready.
— Rich Paul, chief partnership officer, Synergy HomeCare
Full Article: https://homehealthcarenews.com/2022/04/8-home-care-leaders-break-down-what-service-lines-they-plan-to-further-invest-in/
