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What are the Different Types of Home Care Jobs?

C. Daw
C. Daw

Home care agencies are growing in demand as more people are opting to let their loved ones stay home as long as possible as they get older, or when going through a long illness. Most people find that their elderly or injured family members are not only happier, but their health seems to be better when they are able to remain in the comfort of their own home. As the demand for these agencies increase, so does the demand to staff these agencies, leading to many people considering a career in the home care industry. There are several types of home care jobs that are available and they include both professional services, where a specific type of training is required, as well as non-professional jobs that require little to no training.

Many home care jobs are available within the administration of the home care agency. These staff positions may include management positions, which would require a business degree or experience in the business industry. The agency would also have jobs available in the medical billing field so they could bill the patient’s insurance company. Receptionists and secretaries are also jobs available and they would involve answering phones, scheduling services and other office work, and would require some previous experience.

Many patients choose to undergo physical therapy in their own homes.
Many patients choose to undergo physical therapy in their own homes.

Professional services would be another set of home care jobs that would be offered, including RNs, LPN, dieticians, physical therapist and doctors. These are people with specific professional education that allows them to perform their duties to the home care patients. Their specific job duties would vary depending on the needs of each particular patient, but would require them to travel to the patient’s home on a scheduled basis to evaluate them and provide the necessary services. These services could include medical examinations and check-ups, meal planning, physical therapy, helping the patient move and bathe, and other various duties. These home care jobs would require an employee to work one-on-one with the patient, but with respect to the entire home care agency team.

There are also many non-professional home care jobs available like a home care assistant or a home care companion. These jobs require no specialized training and will require the employee to travel to the patient’s home. These jobs may include sitting and providing companionship to the patient, housecleaning for the patient, meal preparations, running errands, taking the patient to necessary appointments and other various duties. The type of services that home care assistants provide vary widely based on the patient’s needs, but basically they are performed to provide the patient with assistance in maintaining their household.

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    • Many patients choose to undergo physical therapy in their own homes.
      By: Ljupco Smokovski
      Many patients choose to undergo physical therapy in their own homes.