The COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 drew a lot of attention to the senior care industry as nursing homes and long-term care facilities were ravaged by the illness, killing tens of thousands of seniors, even as costs are rising.
Many individuals and families are now looking toward home health care as a safer and more affordable alternative to the deteriorating nursing home and long-term facility industry for many reasons, including the cost, safety, and the emotional and mental well-being of clients and their families.
Read on to see why the demand for Interim HealthCare franchises will be considerable in 2021 now that we have experienced the COVID-19 pandemic.
Limited Exposure to Infectious Diseases
One reason that senior care facilities have been hit hard with COVID-19 cases is because infectious diseases have always spread very easily in these facilities. With a high concentration of vulnerable individuals who rely on limited staff for basic hygiene, nursing homes are susceptible to breeding grounds for infectious illnesses, and a concern in the senior care industry.
In-home healthcare allows for individuals to be more isolated from those who could infect them. Contact with fewer people lessens the risk. It also offers employees more time to take the proper sanitization precautions before entering clients’ residences. Interim HealthCare requires all employees to follow strict sanitization protocols in order to keep themselves and their clients safe.
Access to Family
Another devastating effect of COVID-19 in the senior care industry has been the inability of their nursing home and hospice care patients to be with their loved ones at a time when it is most needed. This has drawn more attention to the isolation that many feel when they leave home to live in a facility.
With in-home care, clients can sometimes shelter in place with their families, because they are already living together. This can ease the fear and loneliness that isolation can bring. Also, family members may be more likely to follow precautions, because of the risk of infecting their loved one.
Interim HealthCare recognizes the need for clients to be comfortable, happy, and surrounded by family. Our holistic approach has respectfully and compassionately addressed this problem of isolation and loneliness experienced in care facilities both before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Policy Changes
The changes to Medicare eligibility allow for more clients to meet the requirements for their home health care to be covered by Medicare. The “Improving Care Planning for Medicare Home Health Services” provision allows for clients who are under the care of nurses and physician’s assistants to qualify for Medicare coverage for their home health services. This will greatly benefit the senior care industry by opening up a large opportunity for clients to be able to afford the home healthcare option that they or their loved ones need—especially at a time of economic instability when people are struggling to find work and support their families.
Contact us to learn more about why Interim HealthCare is a great option for you as the senior care industry moves toward new opportunities.