Demand for Home Health Care Workers to Increase by 70%

A recent article on CumberLink.com has great news for the home health care industry: officials report that the demand for home health care workers will increase by 70% as baby boomers reach retirement age.

With seniors older than 85 years of age becoming the fastest growing group in the state, reports say that there could be over 600,000 new jobs by 2020. In Pennsylvania, this could generate over $29 billion.

A report titled, “Impact of the Home care and Hospice Industry on Pennsylvania’s Economy” shows the home health industry outpacing growth over the next seven years. This includes hospice care, home health care, and private duty home care.

The report says that home health care should be tried first before hospitalizing a patient, as seniors respond and heal better in a residential setting. The report came about through Gov. Tom Corbett’s office as a way of helping lawmakers and health care workers get seniors in touch services.

The demand for more home health care workers should help raise the pay rates for those workers. As baby boomers reach retirement, nursing homes may fill up as well, although more slowly.