The National Association for Home Care reported a total of 14,000 home health-care agencies were in existence in 1993. With the rising cost of medical care and lack of facilities to handle our health needs, home health-care businesses are in demand. This service coordinates and provides caring health services to people at home for a fraction of the price of hospitalization or institutional care, while enabling persons to stay in the comfort and familiarity of their own homes. Some home health-care agencies specialize in medical and follow-up care; others add other services in their businesses. At present, it is difficult and time consuming to get funding from government agencies for any of your services. Many home health-care agencies bypass the government altogether and are paid by the clients, their families, or their private insurance carriers. This is a good business for those who enjoy helping people and their families and are skilled at coordinating and organizing services.

Start-Up Costs And Financing Sources

* $7,000 to $200,000, depending on whether you want to start small and build up your client base and services later, or start large right away.

Pricing Guidelines

Check with trade associations for industry standards. Interview a number of agencies to see what home health care services they offer and how much they charge, what contracts they have, how often they make visits, etc.

Marketing And Advertising Methods And Tips

* Place an ad in the business telephone directory.
* Send out direct mailings to developments or homes where older adults live.
* Make presentations to home health-care professionals, networking groups, institutions, senior citizen centers, adult day care centers, child care centers (for sick-children care), social service agencies, non-profit associations and groups serving mentally and physically challenged persons, hospice programs.
* Advertise on radio and local cable television.

Essential Equipment

Home office supplies and home health care equipment: computer with billing, mailing, and management software; business telephone line with answering machine or service and fax; pagers for employees; comfortable furniture if you receive clients in your office for consultation; copier. Promotional materials: brochures, videos (if you can afford to send tapes to prospective clients).

Recommended Training, Experience, Or Needed Skills

* Work for a home health-care agency or have experience and/or health-care training with older adults or non-ambulatory persons.
* Be able to hire workers that care and are knowledgeable in their job.
* Have a caring and positive attitude.
Income Potential
$100,000 and up, depending on the number of clients and employees you have.

Type Of Business

About ½ in-home and ½ out-of-the-homes when you start the business. Full-time in-home health care for running the business, scheduling, etc. if you hire employees to be the care givers.

Best Customers

There are different categories of the customer including older adults, families with special needs children or relatives, anyone who needs some assistance in his or her home.

Helpful Tips

* Check on licensing requirements for your area and get approval to operate.
* Find caring and capable employees to provide services as soon as you begin operating.
* Research thoroughly all the aspects of home health care services before you open. Take the time to learn all you can.

Additional Business Ideas

Services other than home health care: cleaning, shopping, running errands, preparing meals, assisting with personal needs, providing transportation, day companions, respite care while care givers are away. Mentors are independently contracted home health care providers who offer twenty-four hours a day supervised care within a natural family environment. Populations served include children and adolescents with behavioral or medical needs, individuals with mental retardation/developmental disabilities, individuals with neurological impairment, and the elderly. Twenty-four hour per day back-up and support is available.

Home Health Care Essentials

Home health care services are offered by the individuals who want to get start a business where they not only serve the people with devotion but also earn the money by home health care business starting. Before starting your home health care services, you should know each and every aspect of the health issues and the use of home health care equipment. Home health care nursing is a very suitable profession for the women who are naturally tended to serve the people with full devotion. Before establishing in-home health care centre, you should be well-equipped with all home health care products to provide the emergency aid of hospitalization to the patients at home.

Get full detailed knowledge about home health care marketing value so that you may strive hard to be prominent home health care provider in the competitive marketplace. Home health care jobs have a very good progressive scope for the new comers of this field who want to join the field of home health care.