Biz roundup: The Dilly Dally studio celebrates grand opening
Published 12:00 am Sunday, November 1, 2015
As America’s aging population grows, a local senior care company is gearing up to meet the expected need for services. The Home Instead Senior Care office serving Cabarrus and Rowan counties anticipates adding up to 50 professional CAREGivers to its staff by the end of 2015.
By 2050, it is predicted that the senior population will more than double from the 2010 numbers with a projected estimate of 88.5 million people aged 65 or older. As these seniors age, they often need help with their daily activities. In fact, about 29 percent of the U.S. population reports that it currently spends an average of 20 hours per week providing care for a chronically ill, disabled or aging loved one.
The demand for professional caregivers will continue to grow as they are an important component of the care continuum for seniors – helping seniors age safely in their homes while lightening the load for their family members.
“Whether a senior just needs some help running errands and doing some light cooking and cleaning, or they need round-the-clock care, having a professional CAREGiver can make a huge difference in the life of a senior and their family members,” says Jena Hare, owner of the Home Instead Senior Care office in Salisbury. “The type of person who typically excels in this industry is compassionate and enjoys helping others. Those are the main requirements for the job. Beyond that, they could be a recent graduate, someone between jobs or someone who just wants to give back. It’s really a broad range.”
Charlotte Boateng, who has been a Home Instead CAREGiver for 4 years, says that one of the things she likes about her job is the flexible schedule.
“Being a CAREGiver has given me a good work-life balance that a lot of people I know don’t have in their jobs,” she says. “Plus, it’s just really rewarding to get to know my clients on a personal level and know that I’m making their lives better.”
The home care jobs that are available do not require prior training. Rather, newly hired individuals participate in the Home InsteadCAREGivertraining program to equip them with all the knowledge they need to get started. CAREGivers also have the opportunity to receive additional training throughout their careers in such areas as Alzheimer’s care.
“We keep up on all of the latest news and industry standards in home care,” says Hare. “And our training program helps to ensure that our CAREGivers are getting the information they need to better support seniors and their families.”
For more information on the Home Instead Senior Care network, please visit http://www.homeinstead.com/