Prior to becoming a REALTOR®, I managed one of the largest projects in health care. It was the implementation of the new articles of the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act. It was my job to lead a team of 150 to implement federal regulations to protect patient privacy in every aspect of their business. From who came and left the building, to how records were discarded, to how information was given out over the phone. From there, I thought..."now what?" I've managed "THE" project, it's time to do something new. I looked into purchasing a franchise that offered non-medical in-home companion care for seniors: everything from trips to the pharmacy to playing a game of cards or having a meal together. Sounds nice! I had worked as a Certified Nursing Assistant to get my way through college, but didn't know much about the business side of thngs. So, I found a franchise and went to visit their corporate office to investigate. There were a group of us interested in purchasing a franchise, and we sat through two days of meetings. At the end of the second day we were given forms to fill out, and told the cost to start a franchise (In 2002 it was $14,000 for this particular franchise). That was it. Fill out the forms, pay the money, you have a franchise. No background check, and nobody asked why I wanted to work with seniors. If you have the money and can fill out forms, that was the bar for entrence. No thanks. The company I work with has to have a goal of excellence; especially when working with older seniors. There are a couple of these franchises in the Twin Cities.
At the time I made that decision, I did not know I would join a professional senior networking group, nor did I know how saturated this field is in the Twin Cities. There are a LOT of both in-home medical and non-medical health care groups around. Some of them are Medicaid/Medicare certified, and some will take long term care insurance, but the vast majority of them are private pay. The home health care industry plays a HUGE role in helping people to stay in their homes longer, which (this is my opinion, not scientific study) helps people stay healthier (as long as their social and spritual needs are being met) and maintain dignity and independence longer. Home health care is also, in general, less expensive than an assisted living community. All good things, right?
Even though it's less expensive than assisted living, it's much more expensive than nothing. According to a NY Times article, many of us are looking for other options. Options that are less expensive, which also means less regulated. There is a new tredn of hiring from the gray-market. A referral based over the back fence network of women who are according to the NY times, untrained and unscreened.
With 4.2 million Americans currently over 85 — a number expected to grow to 5.9 million by 2014 and then accelerate with the baby boom generation — the exploding need for long-term care is remaking the home-care industry, driving more of it underground. Gray-market hiring, fraught with risks, is a solution that middle-class families are turning to as they face the crushing burden of indefinite home-care expenses. But it is hardly the only one, as businesses rush to meet the needs of these families, the fastest-growing segment of the marketplace, who are intent on keeping their loved ones out of nursing homes.
I see this less of a problem and more of a creative solution to answer a need. Plus who would you rather have taking care of your loved one, a 65+ year old who has raised a family, or a 19 year old Certified Nursing Assistant who takes time during her visits to text message on her blackberry? You simply cannot train someone how to nurture. Frankly, in many in home health cases I think that's more important than knowing how to take a blood pressure.
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