With more people living longer lives and fewer folks able to stay at home to care for their older loved ones, demand for home health aides in Houston and other major cities is reaching an all-time high. Increased demand for paid caretakers will only further grow as time goes on, putting pressure on the healthcare industry to find more qualified individuals to work as home health aides.
If you or someone you know has been struck by unemployment or underemployment during the ongoing pandemic-induced recession, becoming a paid caretaker might be the best move going forward. The following are five reasons to consider this option:
Job security
As mentioned in the introduction, the demand for home health aides has never been greater. That means you can always find work as a home health aide in NYC, Houston, and other major cities. Regardless of where you live or plan on living in the future, work as a paid caretaker will be readily available. Given the scarcity of job security in the modern economy, knowing you’ll always have a way to earn money is a great way to achieve financial peace of mind.
Meaningful work
Most jobs involve products and services that consumers don’t necessarily want or even need. When working as a home health aide, you’re providing an essential service for those who need it most. Rather than feeling like you’re a pawn in some corporation’s quest for global domination, you get to come home knowing you helped make someone’s day better. While the work can be difficult, it means so much more than what you’d likely ever accomplish sitting behind a desk all day.
Advancement potential
Working as a home health aide for several years can open doors to other career opportunities. That’s because it’s considered a thankless yet essential entry-level job in healthcare. If you can succeed as a home health aide, then you can make it in similarly care-oriented careers in health and medicine. In conjunction with higher education, your experience as a home health aide can even prepare you for a career as a registered nurse, nurse practitioner, or physician’s assistant.
Flexible schedule
Given the high demand for professional caretaker services, most home health aides have their pick of days and hours they work. Many clients require around-the-clock care, meaning every hour of the day involves someone being there. So, if you’re a morning person, a night owl, or a mix of both, there’s going to be a way to make your work schedule fit.
Rewarding career
Whether you work as a home health aide for the rest of your working life or use it as a springboard to other career opportunities in the medical field, the result is the same: you’ll benefit from a gratifying career. Sure, there will be bad days, but they will be matched by good ones as well. What’s more, regardless of the severity of cases and level of care required, what you do works to improve the quality of life for others. If that’s not a rewarding career, then what is?
With so many Houstonians and others around the country struggling to pay the bills, it might be time to look to new job options. While not for everyone, becoming a home health aide could be the perfect job for you. One thing’s for certain; there’s plenty of opportunities out there to find out.
