Homecare agencies specialise in the provision of caregivers and health professionals to provide medical care and support to the numerous individuals who, due to their medical conditions, are unable to leave their homes or to support themselves in their own home environment. Those in this profession are commonly referred to as direct care workers, due to their role in working with patients who require short or long term care in the patients home or residential care facilities.
Health professionals working for homecare agencies typically provide aide for the elderly, disabled, and the physically and mentally ill. They provide health related services as well as, housekeeping, routine hygiene and personal care functions. Caregivers regularly provide meals and dietary plans and provide assistance with regular daily functions such as bathing, grooming and dressing, cleanliness, as well as travelling with their clients to medical appointments and other miscellaneous errands. Many healthcare professionals employed by homecare agencies work with the elderly or those suffering from physical or mentally disabling conditions. These individuals generally require a higher level of care and medical expertise than their family alone can provide. Additionally, homecare agencies may provide instruction and psychological support to their patients.
Those employed by homecare agencies generally work alone, with intervallic visits from their supervisors. They receive detailed instructions explaining when to visit patients and what services to perform, with the responsibility of transporting patients to and from their home. Due to this, caregivers may spend a good portion of the working day travelling from one patient to another. As most equipment that is commonly available to staff in medical institutions, are not present in people's private homes, homecare staff must be vigilant to ensure injuries to do not occur from overexertion when they assist patients.
The demand for healthcare facilities employed by homecare agencies is expected to rise as a result of growing demand for home services from an aging population and pressures from government agencies to reduce costs by discharging patients earlier from the hospital environment and into private homes and external care facilities. The trend expressed in consumer preference for in-home care is not only creating greater pressure on homecare agencies, but for the adaption of technology for in-home treatment.
As a result, career opportunities are becoming more numerous for nursing and health aides working under the umbrella of direct care workers. Additionally, evolving medical practices and procedures which enable many of us to experience extended life expectancies; will inavertedly create greater pressures on homecare services and drive demand for homecare health professionals.
Geneva Health International Ltd is a leader in its field of health staffing and recruitment. They have a wide variety of major staff supply contracts, within Australia, New Zealand, UK and overseas, and have extensive experience in meeting the needs of a significant number of large and small health organisations.
Geneva Health has operated in the UK for over 12 years. From their head office in London, they operate a Nursing and a genevahealth.co.uk Medical Locum Agency, genevahealth.co.uk/homecare.aspx Homecare Agencies Services, plus Permanent Recruitment services for a range of health professionals, from Doctors, to Nurses and Allied Health and Clinical Support professionals. Their clients are cover the health spectrum from the NHS, to Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes.
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