 The increasing population of elderly adults and individuals with chronic conditions is resulting in a higher demand for home care services in Canada, which aligns with the desire expressed by 91% of Canadians who wish to stay in the comfort of their own homes. There is an increasing need for personal and medical care services, which offers attractive business opportunities in the healthcare industry. If you are a PSW or an entrepreneur considering starting your own home care business in the industry, you may be wondering, "where and how should I start?". We need to start by understanding the different types of home health care businesses. What is a home health care agency/provider? The term' home health care' can express the whole concept, which means that professional caregivers or medical professionals will visit an individual's home and provide support and help to depend on their needs. Medical home health care vs. non-medical home care agency Medical home health care agencies offer nursing services and monitoring of an individual's health condition, such as mental state or blood pressure. They also take care of wounds or injury for patients who are senior citizens or who just get out of the hospitals. These services should be provided by licensed and skilled nurses or professionals. Non-medical home care agencies provide less complicated services that support daily living activities such as personal care, housekeeping, shopping, meal preparation, medication reminders, and transportation. Such services are vital for seniors to enable safe and comfortable living conditions in their own houses. Steps to start a home care business After you have determined what kind of home care business to start, now it's time to move on to some technical works. These are some fundamental steps applying to start your own home care business as it would be similar to most of any other companies in all industries. 1. Create a business plan No business starts without a proper business plan as it's the backbone of your company. A complete business plan should include the following:
2. Choose a business name Every business needs a name to differentiate itself from the others. Select a good name that reflects the business, check if a name is already taken, and register to protect your business name. There are a few points to keep in mind while choosing a business' name:
3. Register your business with the government You must register your business with the government before you even start operating it. Depending on a state-to-state basis, the requirements will be different. However, you need to certify your home care business for a license by completing the home care application. Additionally, you are required to incorporate your business, obtain the tax identification, and the federal business number. 4. Obtain your business licenses and permits When owning a home care business, you and all your staff members will work with seniors, people who have complex health issues. Therefore, it is crucial to obtain the appropriate licenses and permits needed to operate the home care business. Moreover, every member of your business must be certified or renew certifications for CPR. Everyone needs to have extensive knowledge of life-saving procedures and techniques when working with elderly adults or those with health issues. 5. Prepare your finances You can start by open a business checking and credit card account. For a start-up, it can be tough to get funding at the beginning. However, you can seek for help from national and regional business support, present your business idea in front of incubators, apply for business loans to cover the start-up costs. Moreover, you should have a computerized accounting system to keep track of your business' cash flow. It's crucial to hire staff that can represent and reflect your business' core values. The hiring process can take time in the beginning since you need to promote your business and attract potential candidates to apply that can be done through the business' social media, website, or even job sites. Depending on your needs, you may look for caregivers or employees that support the business' operations. The success of the home care business mostly depends on the caregivers. The company's reputation heavily weights upon the quality of care delivered to the customers. Therefore, you should spend a decent amount of time interviewing prospects and requests as well as verify references to hire the most compassionate, resourceful, and qualified caregivers. Once you finish interviewing all potential employees, make sure that you carefully conduct extensive background checks to avoid any legal issues. 7. Acquire customers Having a decent business plan in place and an ideal team lined up, it's time to start acquiring customers and operating your home care businesses which is one of the toughest parts of owning and developing any type of business, especially a service-based business with lots of existing competitors like a home health care agency. To effectively and efficiently get clients, you may need to develop effective marketing strategies. a. Develop an online presence. Get yourself an essential website with a business's name and all the necessary information to represent the company. By doing so, you can reach out to more customers and persuade them first to be aware of your presence. If you start with a limited budget, many free website builders can help you to build a functioning website for the business. b. Let Google know your presence. Nowadays, when customers look for something, they are likely to Google it. Therefore, your business information must appear on Google. This can be done through registering your healthcare business with Google so that information such as phone number, address, or email can be accessible for potential customers. However, you need to create your website first. c. Promote your differentiating features. If you have a potential client, make sure that they know why your business is different, hence, better than others. Mention it directly in your tagline or outline it on your website's homepage and marketing collaterals to deliver a brand message. Reference: https://seniorservicebusiness.com/how-to-start-a-senior-home-care-business-for-under-900/ https://www.carepathways.com/articles/starting-a-home-care-agency-business.cfm https://www.canada.ca/en/services/business/start.html https://www.prnfunding.com/start-home-health-care-agency How Helpers’ services can help? Helpers is a service that helps you request on-demand home care with flexibility and convenience from qualified helpers. Our services are designed to make your life as easy as possible. Our team combines our passion for better healthcare with a depth of experience in senior care, home care, and technology. Helpers was formed around a mission to create a more sustainable approach to support Canada's aging population. We understand that great care starts with great people and that is why we are committed to helping our clients and our workers get more of what they want! We must help seniors maintain their independence while ensuring families and loved ones get the trusted help they need. Through our app, our clients can select non-medical home care services they need and request them on-demand, paying only what they need and when they need it. Our services include personal care, mobility assist, medication reminder, and driving companion – all will be billed by the service instead of by the hour. If you're interested in more information about how Helpers can help your elderly loved ones, contact us or call 289-768-9616. 
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 Taking care of a family member can be one of the most rewarding jobs for a person. However, it can also be tough and stressful at the same time. Naturally, unpaid caregivers can experience burnout due to the time and effort committed to senior care. Therefore, many families seek help from professional home care services. However, this process can be complicated when navigating the various home care services available for your loved one. 1) Determine what kind of home care services you need There are three types of home care services available: in-home care, on-demand home care, and home health care. You may need only one at a time or maybe multiple services. In-home care services Home care agencies provide these services. They will send trusted, qualified professional caregivers to take care of you, enabling you to remain in a safe and comfortable house setting. In-home care services are well-suited for you who need assistance with their daily activities such as eating, bathing, hygiene assistance, etc. Caregivers from home care providers can help with light household chores, transportation, meal preparation, medication reminders, and companionship. On-demand home care services On-demand home care is similar to in-home care in terms of its non-medical offerings. However, in-home care service providers require a minimum hours per visit andfor services scheduled well in advance..On-demand home care service agencies allow customers to order the services they need, when they need it. On-demand home care services are available to satisfy the needs of families without being restricted by hourly minimums per visit or in-advance request. Typically, the main costs of home care services for these families have been the time a caregiver sits and waits in between tasks. Caregivers can visit an individual’s home and help the customers based on their requests such as bathing (average time: 40 minutes), mobility assist (average: 15 minutes), and medication reminders (5 minutes), etc. Therefore, families won’t pay for a 4-hour visit while they only need 1-hour of service. Moreover, families can request on-demand home care services whenever they need without worrying about unavailable caregivers. Typically, in-home care providers may ask their customers to book the visit a few days or even months in advance to save the spot due to the increasing demand for home care. However, with on-demand home care providers, customers can request the services for same-day services, hence, being flexible with the timing. Home health care services If you are suffering from an illness or injury, home health care services will be suitable. Home health care focuses on medical care and illness treatment provided by skilled health professionals. Depending on your needs and health conditions, you can benefit from one service or a combination of multiples. 2) Find the right home care providers for you After determining the types of services that you need, it's time to evaluate which home care providers are right for you. In the beginning, it can be difficult as you are not willing to entrust your home or personal care to other caregivers, especially strangers. Therefore, you can start by seeking referrals from friends, families, or even neighbours. You can also ask people you know that have used care agencies they can suggest. By asking from their experiences, you are more likely to evaluate and pick the right home care services for you. Currently, there are three types of home care providers: full-service agencies, on-demand home care agencies, and independent providers. Depending on your financial situation and needs, you may choose either one of them to provide the services. Full-service agencies The 'full-service' term can explain the concept of these health care agencies. They usually offer high-cost services, but they provide pre-screened caregivers and professionals who have already gone through background checks. Caregivers who work for the agency will take care of all billing and tax issues for the customers. If a caregiver quits or becomes not suitable for the role, an agency can quickly find a replacement for you, and may also offer coverage if a caregiver is absent or calls in sick. Potential questions to ask the home care agency in your evaluation:
On-demand home care agencies ‘On-demand’ home care agencies are those that provide non-medical home care services based on the customers’ needs. Instead of requesting a caregiver’s visit that lasts a minimum of four hours, on-demand home care agencies offer a faster, more affordable, and more flexible option. They allow the customers to request services, not a visit. These services can last from 5 minutes to 1 hour. Moreover, these providers can meet your unexpected needs quickly by sending caregivers to your home whenever you need them without booking the visit days and months in advance. Essential elements when choosing an on-demand home care agency:
Independent providers These are individuals who provide the services directly without going through any agency. Therefore, they usually have lower costs compared to full-service agencies. However, a downside of the independent provider is that you, the customer, are required to do more legwork. You are responsible for handling any tax requirements and conduct background checks as well as identity verification. Moreover, there will be a higher rate of no-show or unexpected cancellations. You'll need to find a replacement provider in case of sudden absence or illness. Tips for hiring home care caregivers: Hiring home care caregivers is a significant time commitment involving researching the care required and identifying the proper support to meet the needs. Hiring caregivers to handle meal preparations will utterly different from hiring someone to take care of your injury. Therefore, this hiring process will be on a case by case basis. Helpers have come up with some useful tips to support you on this. Keep in mind that when you spend more time and effort in the initial hiring process, you will be more likely to be successful and to make the right decisions.
How can Helpers be the best option for you? When care can’t be scheduled, Helpers is there for you. We provide services through an application (available on iOS and Android) that help you request on-demand home care with flexibility and convenience from trusted and qualified caregivers. Our mission is to help Canadians live better lives for longer. Our team combines our passion for better healthcare with a depth of experience in senior care, home care, and technology. Helpers was formed around a mission to create a more sustainable approach to support Canada's aging population. We understand that great care starts with great people and that is why we are committed to helping our clients and our workers get more of what they want! You or your loved ones can request services from our app with increased flexibility, convenience, and cost savings for non-medical home care services. You pay only for the services you need and when you need it. If you require less than three consecutive hours of service, we are here FOR YOU.
Reference
https://www.visitingangels.com/knowledge-center/selecting-care/here-are-the-critical-first-steps-in-evaluating-home-care-for-your-loved-one/271 https://www.helpguide.org/articles/senior-housing/home-care-services-for-seniors.htm https://www.seniorlink.com/blog/50-mistakes-to-avoid https://dailycaring.com/7-steps-for-hiring-a-caregiver-for-in-home-help/  For many reasons, many families decide to take care of the elderly at home. However, caring for seniors can be one of the most stressful and challenging jobs someone takes on. Therefore, it is essential that you understand some critical elements in senior home care and how to provide in-home care for the elderly as efficiently as possible.
Determine how much care is needed Even though taking care of seniors can be one of the most challenging tasks, understanding their needs may help you manage the workload associated with providing care. You can start by finding out what is required either on a one-time basis or regularly. Beginning the conversations, observing their daily activities, or consulting with their doctors is a great way to start. One of the ways to make this easier is to write down daily, weekly, and monthly care tasks as a list. This may help you understand how much help will be needed at which times of the day. For example, in the morning, they may need help with eating breakfast, bathing, dressing, and consuming their daily intake of prescriptions and other medications. Having a list will give you an overall view of what assistance is required and at which times throughout the day. Understand how much care and support you can provide to your seniors without risking your health. After identifying how much care your seniors need, you should determine if you have the ability and the time to handle those by yourself. You may ask yourself whether you can balance your work and social life with the care required. If the answer is 'no', will it be better to have someone to help you with these tasks? You need to be thoughtful and realistic to yourself about how much care you can offer without risking your health or losing the balance in your personal life. Taking on too much responsibility may not be helpful. In some cases, you can eventually feel stressed out and be unable to take diligent care for anyone. Instead, you can seek for ways to get the support you may need to maintain a balanced life while providing care for your seniors. Evaluate the cost associated with home care and maintenance. Before settling for the in-home care option for the elderly, you must examine the cost associated with in-home care. This involves determining the types of services required for such as home care or health care services, medical or non-medical caregiver, etc. Moreover, if you consider requesting a caregiver, would you hire them directly or through an agency. To reduce the financial burden, you need to make sure that you prepare financially with all your current expenses and budgets. Furthermore, having a contingency plan is necessary in case additional care is required. You can research potential ways to reduce caregiving costs as much as possible such as looking for government benefit programs, and insurance, etc. Maintenance of your home is also a high cost. Some seniors may have retired, who may not have the necessary income for maintenance and repairs. Moreover, seniors in need of care will do less of the household chores required based on specific medical and physical limitations. Therefore, you need to ask yourself if you can afford these housing costs, including maintenance, utilities, and taxes. House modifications and accommodations Many daily activities can become cumbersome and difficult chores that require support. Simple tasks such as lifting a box or climbing the stairs can be a difficult task for seniors. Therefore, if you are considering in-home care for the elderly, you can modify your home and accommodate specific conditions and physical needs to make their life more comfortable and safer. For example, if their movement is constrained or they must use a wheelchair, you can consider letting them live entirely on the ground floor, so they do not need to climb the stairs frequently. Additionally, with today's technology, you can elevate the senior home care by having a lighting system that is controlled by mobile phones or making windows and doors operate electronically. Accessibility to health care facilities As age advances, the accessibility to health care facilities become increasingly significant. For seniors, unexpected incidents and emergencies may occur, and they need to be rushed to the hospitals as quickly as possible. Therefore, it is ideal that the home should be close to qualified and trusted health facilities.  Seniors in Ontario can receive home care services that are publicly funded by the government. LHIN (Local Health Integration Network) will determine if they are qualified for government-fund services. However, seniors may not be able to receive the amount of care and support that matches their needs. Additionally, not everyone qualifies to receive public home care services from the government. Therefore, another available option is engage with private home care services from community agencies or through a private company. This article will provide you with a complete breakdown of private home care costs, which may help in the decision-making process. This home care cost breakdown may only act as a reference with general costs for private home care services available in Ontario. Therefore, you may need to contact the desired agency directly to learn more about their pricing and rates. Disclaimer: Below are the estimated costs, and they will be varied depending on the home care agencies. Personal Support Services With personal support services, home care is provided to enable safe and independent daily activities. A certified and trained Personal Support Worker (PSW) offers support of the following services, but not limited to:
Home Support Services Homemaking services are available to support individuals with routine or daily household activities to enable safe and relaxing living conditions at home. These services provided by a Home Support Worker (HSW) include, but not limited to:
Nursing Nurses are trained to provide a diverse range of home care services, including changing bandages, cleaning wounds, post-acute care, assessing and monitoring health, medication intake, and creating a care plan. Depending on the clients' needs and conditions, some home care agencies can provide either a Registered Nurse (RN) or a Registered Practical Nurse (RPN). Registered nurses (RNs) have broad and extensive knowledge in their field to help patients with more complicated health issues. On the other hand, registered practical nurses (RPNs) support patients with more common and typical health conditions. The differences between an RPN and an RN determine the rate gap between them. If you receive services from an RPN, the hourly cost will fall between $45 to $60 while it costs between $55 to $80 per hour for an RN. Similar to a PSW and an HSW, some agencies may require their customers to request a minimum number of hours per visit. Physiotherapy Professionals provide help for back pain, blood circulation, mobility problems, pain relief, and relaxation. The standard treatment may consist of an initial assessment and multiple follow-up treatments. At every visit at the client's home, it is usually a Physiotherapist (PT) who provides care services. Generally, the costs fall between $90 to $150 for an initial assessment, which takes around one hour. Follow-up treatment may vary depending on the duration, and whether the care is provided by a physiotherapy assistant (PTA) or a physiotherapist. A follow-up costs typically $40 to $50, with the average length being 30 to 45 minutes, while it may cost the same as the initial assessment if the clients request an hour-long appointment with a physiotherapist. Speech-Language Pathology Speech-Language Pathologists usually support patients who have a limited speaking ability or understanding speech from all age ranges. People can visit Speech-Language Pathology if they would like to learn or get consulted about speech-language disorders. Depending on the client's need and their situation, each visit costs typically around $120 to $135, with the typical length of one hour or more. Occupational Therapy Occupational therapists offer support to make daily routines and physical tasks more comfortable. Typically, professional therapists will assess the reasons why a client cannot do what they want or need to do. These may include the physical abilities, mental abilities, physical setup of the surroundings. These professionals can provide clients with solutions depending on their problems so that they can live comfortably and independently. Typically, each visit with the occupational therapists lasts around one hour and costs between $110 to $150. Based on the situations, the clients may require follow-up treatments determined by the OT during the initial assessment. The rate of each follow-up can be similar to the initial one or be varied depending on the duration of the visit. Social Work Social workers' responsibilities includes helping caregivers deal with stress, and support families in enhancing their well-being or resolving problems. Based on the needs of the clients, each visit typically lasts around 1 to 1.5 hours. The social work costs in Ontario can range from $120 to $135 per visit.
* Please note that each visit lasts typically around 1 hour. Initial assessments can take around 1 hour, depending on the client's needs and situations, while follow-up treatments often last from 30 to 45 minutes. Reference: https://www.closingthegap.ca/guides/home-care-costs-in-ontario-a-complete-breakdown http://www.auditor.on.ca/en/content/annualreports/arreports/en17/2017AR_v2_en_web.pdf https://www.home careontario.ca/home-care-services/facts-figures/home-care https://www.closingthegap.ca/blog/nurses-do-you-know-the-difference-between-rn-rpn-and-np/ Helpers Home Care On-Demand Helpers is a service that helps you request on-demand home care with flexibility and convenience from qualified helpers. Our services are designed to make your life as easy as possible. Our team combines our passion for better healthcare with a depth of experience in senior care, home care, and technology. Helpers was formed around a mission to create a more sustainable approach to support Canada's aging population. We understand that great care starts with great people, and that is why we are committed to helping our clients and our workers get more of what they want! We must help seniors maintain their independence while ensuring families and loved ones get the trusted help they need. Through our app, our clients can select non-medical home care services they need and request them on-demand, paying only what they need and when they need it. Our services include personal care, mobility assist, medication reminder, and driving companion – all will be billed by the service instead of by the hour.  In-home support can be beneficial for aging adults, people recovering from illness or surgery, and those with disabilities. Home care is one of the available options for families to receive services that are best for themselves or their loved ones. However, how do I know if home care is right for me? When someone grows older, it is natural that they prefer to stay at home. However, deciding in the long-term situation, whether staying at home or not requires time and commitment. Sometimes, staying at home can be uncontrollable in terms of an emergency or an unexpected incident. Therefore, it is essential to make judgments based on multiple factors such as budgets, living conditions, or health conditions to decide if home care is right for you or your loved ones. Everyone's home situation and condition are unique. Factors to determine the best choice for you can be weighted differently depending on your needs and preferences. Here are several considerations to evaluate your decisions:
Determining if home care is right for you may take some time as you may prefer taking care of yourself or being supported by family members. However, circumstances may change, and it is vital to be aware of the home care services available in Ontario that might be able to provide help and release the burden. Depending on your health conditions, your financial situations, and the level of support you have, it may help to know if home care is right for you. Reference: https://healthyathomeseniorcare.com/home-care-right/ https://www.comfortlife.ca/home-care/home-care-toronto Helpers - On-Demand Home Care Helpers is a service that helps you request on-demand home care with flexibility and convenience from qualified helpers. Our services are designed to make your life as easy as possible. Our team combines our passion for better healthcare with a depth of experience in senior care, home care, and technology. Helpers was formed around a mission to create a more sustainable approach to support Canada's aging population. We understand that great care starts with great people, and that is why we are committed to helping our clients and our workers get more of what they want! We must help seniors maintain their independence while ensuring families and loved ones get the trusted help they need. Through our app, our clients can select non-medical home care services they need and request them on-demand, paying only what they need and when they need it. Our services include personal care, mobility assist, medication reminder, and driving companion – all will be billed by the service instead of by the hour. If you're interested in more information about how Helpers can help your elderly loved ones, contact us or call 289-768-9616. What is home care? Home care is best described as an array of professional support services that enable an individual to live safely and comfortably in their residence. In-home care services are offered to meet the specific needs of people who are aging and require assistance to live independently; people living with chronic, medical, complex health conditions; people recovering from a medical setback and people with disabilities or special needs. The goal of home and community care includes support personal to maintain or improve their health status and quality of life. It can assist people in remaining as independent as possible while enabling safety and comfort; it can support families in coping with a family member’s need for care; it can help people stay at or return home and receive needed treatment, habitation or palliative care while avoiding unnecessary hospitalization – all through care delivered in the familiarity and relaxation of one’s home. Home care services and options available in Ontario Home care services are varied and extensive. Depending on one’s needs, care can be customized and tailored to a combination of multiple home care services’ types in Ontario. These home care services and options available in Ontario share a common objective which is to provide assistance for adults receiving care for happier, more independent living and to offer support for their family members. There are numerous in-home services that you can choose from depending on your needs. 1. Personal Care With personal care services, help is provided to enable safe and independent daily activities. The health caregivers offer support with the following services but not limited to:
The health care professionals’ visits are available to determine the customers needs, provide care, and support independent living by providing the following options but not limited to:
Homemaking services are available to support individuals with routine or daily household activities to enable safe and relaxed living conditions at home. These services include but not limited to:
Reference: https://www.bayada.com/homehealthcare/what-is-homecare/ https://www.ontario.ca/page/homecare-seniors?_ga=2.41787746.1568780440.1594053680-1278671189.1593790574 How Helpers’ services can help? Helpers is a service that helps you request on-demand home care with flexibility and convenience from qualified helpers. Our services are designed to make your life as easy as possible. Our team combines our passion for better healthcare with a depth of experience in senior care, home care, and technology. Helpers was formed around a mission to create a more sustainable approach to support Canada's aging population. We understand that great care starts with great people and that is why we are committed to helping our clients and our workers get more of what they want! We must help seniors maintain their independence while ensuring families and loved ones get the trusted help they need. Through our app, our clients can select non-medical home care services they need and request them on-demand, paying only what they need and when they need it. Our services include personal care, mobility assist, medication reminder, and driving companion – all will be billed by the service instead of by the hour. If you're interested in more information about how Helpers can help your elderly loved ones, contact us or call 289-768-9616. |
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