EXISTENTIAL THREAT TO THE HOME CARE BUSINESS?

Home Care in South Bergen County, NJ and Surrounding Areas

The homecare industry has been rapidly growing with so many seniors living longer and wanting to remain in their homes for as long as they can.  Many of these seniors need a little extra help to remain safely in their homes and they hire qualified home care aides.  But there is a nationwide shortage of Certified Home Health aides.  This shortage problem is causing many seniors to try to remain at home without qualified aides, resulting in increased hospitalizations due to falls and other undiagnosed conditions not recognized in time.

However, the State of New Jersey has recognized this problem and is funding an initiative to encourage job seekers to consider changing professions and be trained and then hired as Certified Home Health Aides.  Home Helpers of Fort Lee has been chosen as one of only 13 Home Health agencies in New Jersey to participate in a new program that will identify these candidates, enroll them in our CHHA school and monetarily reward them throughout the 8 week course.  After they complete the course and pass the CHHA exam, they will be hired by Home Helpers and also receive a monetary reward.  This initial period working in this industry is critical as statistics from Home Care Pulse indicate that 75% of new aides leave their home health job within the first 90 days due to lack of training, commitment and burn out.  But this new program is designed to solve this critical issue as all newly hired Certified Aides will then be mentored for the next 12 months by our qualified mentors.  Our specially trained mentors will try to insure that the new aides remain engaged and motivated and that they develop into employees with the passion and the compassion to insure the health and safety of our senior clients who still want to remain as independent in their own homes as they can.  Our new employees will continue to receive monetary rewards provided by this program during the first 12 months of employment.

Home Helpers is hopeful that the expected success of this program will be replicated by other states and other organizations so that the massive need for qualified aides will be met before this crisis is out of control.