Shortage On Caregivers
More than 29% of the United States population currently receives home health care from a family member. This could be for a chronic illness, disability, surgical operation, aging, the list goes on. Due to the growing number of elderly people;
the nation is facing a shortage on caregivers to assist in homes, facilities, and senior living communities. Two companies in Fort Myers, FL have come up with a solution to this growing issue.
Caregiver Burnout
Many people stay at home to assist a loved one. Thus, they have the difficult task of trying to manage a life of their own, a paying job, and the full time task of family caregiver. Six out of ten unpaid caregivers say they manage the task of care giving and a full time job.
In turn, almost all family designated caregivers typically face a breaking point physically/mentally; an event commonly referred to as “burnout”. According to The World Health Organization:
“Burn-out is a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. It is characterized by three dimensions:
feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion;
increased mental distance from one’s job or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one's job
Reduced professional productivity
Therefore; the demand for home health care workers is unmistakably high. And that is why the Home Health Care industry is growing at a rapid rate.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; the job outlook for home healthcare providers is double that of the national average.
The "Grey Tsunami"
According to researchers - we are entering a demographic transformation that professionals are calling "the grey tsunami".
Dr. Grace Whiting, president and CEO of the National Alliance of Caregivers sheds light on this intense change in demographics; “The mismatch between old and young will have implications across the coming years."
"We aren’t having enough children to take care of us in our old age,” she said. “Look at my family: my in-law was one of six children, my husband and I were one of two, and we don’t have kids. Extrapolate that out, and that’s what’s happening nationwide."
An Interview With Mrs. Clarke
I sat down with Mrs. Jocelyne Clarke (CEO of Companion Caregiver Services and K&E Medical Training Center), an experienced Caregiver herself. Our conversation turned into an informal type of interview which proved very informative. I'll share some of that with you now:
Me: What do you think the biggest issues are right now that this industry is facing?
And before I could even finish my sentence she immediately answered:
"Lack of workers, and abuse".
I almost choked on my coffee. "Sorry, did you say...abuse"?
"Yes," she said. "Abuse is a huge problem in this industry and that is why I have developed a system that allows me to control and oversee the student from the time they enter our classes all the way to their job placement.
When my caregivers go out to work I am more than confident that they will be providing nothing but the absolute best quality of work. I leave no room for any uncertainties. All of my students are given a full blown, fingerprinted background check, and by the time I place them in an employment situation; I have personally gotten to know the indivual unequivocally."
The Full Circle Solution
Mrs. Clarke has developed a full circle solution, for individuals seeking education in the field, a career in the field, and customers seeking the assistance. She handles all of them; and quite well I might add.
How does she do it? She started off with a training institute. K&E Medical Training Center is an institute located in Fort Myers, Florida. Anyone seeking a career as a CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) or an HHA (Home Health Aide) certification can signup for courses offered by K&E and become fully prepared for the certification exams.
But it is not just the exams that students are prepared for. "We prepare our students to become excellent workers in the field. When they have passed their exams and are ready to work; I am more than confident that each and every one of them will serve as great assets to the industry." Mrs. Clarke exclaimed.
After a few years of successful business with K&E Medical - Mrs. Clarke opened Companion Caregiver Services just this year; so she can provide employment for her graduated students.
"We welcome any certified caregiver to apply to our company -- there is plenty of work in Lee, Charlotte, and Collier county." she said.
Companion is also making a concerted effort to communicate with management of senior living facilities throughout Southwest Florida. The goal is to serve as a direct home care agency; supplying these senior living facilities with caregivers as needed for a fee. But the service is more complex than that.
If a facility were to hire Companion to provide them with one or more Caregivers each week for a set amount of hours, the company will handle all scheduling, and any issues that may arise. For example, they would be dealing with call outs and rapidly locating temporary replacements -- so that facility Resident Directors and Executive Directors can focus on more important parts of their workday. Companion will also conduct repeated quality checks to ensure the Caregivers they provide are doing excellent work.
And the service is very much welcomed by these local facilities - as the demand for Caregivers is clearly at an all time high.
That goes for individual seniors seeking help at home too, the demand could not really be much greater.
For now, and for Southwest Florida - Companion Caregiver Services can help put off the tsunami crashing down on us. With a full supply of dependable, qualified, and well trained caregivers from K&E, Mrs. Clarke is able to provide caregivers to all those in need throughout Southwest Florida.
This includes assisted living facilities, senior living communities, families that need care for a loved one, and even seniors themselves that are seeking help.
If you are interested in obtaining an education to become a Certified Nursing Assistant or a Home Health Aide call K&E Medical Training Center at (239) 206-1967.
If you are seeking any type of home health services; contact Companion Caregiver Services at 239-791-8801. Both companies can be visited directly at 4406 Evans Avenue, Fort Myers FL 33901, In Suite 7.
Lastly, if you are seeking employment as a caregiver - please click here to fill out the application form here.
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