SENIOR POPULATION BOOM MEANS MORE JOBS

As America’s aging population continues to grow, a local senior care company is gearing up to meet the expected need for services. The Home Instead Senior Care® office serving San Francisco anticipates adding up to 60 professional CAREGiversSM to its staff by the end of 2015.

The demand for professional caregivers will continue to increase 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.

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.

“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 to the senior and their family,” says Phil Marechal, owner of the Home Instead Senior Care office in San Francisco. “The type of person who typically excels in this industry is compassionate and enjoys helping others. Those are the main requirement 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.”

Lori, who has been a Home Instead CAREGiver for one year, 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 will participate in the Home Instead CAREGiver training 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 with CEU Credits for CNA/HHA certifications.

“We keep up on all of the latest news and industry standards in home care,” says Marechal. “And our training program helps to ensure that our CAREGivers are getting the information they need to better support seniors and their families including California Licensure AB 1217 law next year.”

For more information on the Home Instead Senior Care® network, please visit http://www.homeinstead.com/CAREGIVER/JOB-REQUIREMENTS/ or call (415) 441-6490.

ABOUT HOME INSTEAD SENIOR CARE

Founded in 1994 in Omaha, Nebraska, by Lori and Paul Hogan, the Home Instead Senior Care® network provides personalized care, support and education to help enhance the lives of aging adults and their families. Today, this network is the world’s leading provider of in-home care services for seniors, with more than 1,000 independently owned and operated franchises that are estimated to annually provide more than 50 million hours of care throughout the United States and 16 other countries. Local Home Instead Senior Care offices employ approximately 65,000 CAREGiversSM worldwide who provide basic support services that enable seniors to live safely and comfortably in their own homes for as long as possible. The Home Instead Senior Care network strives to partner with each client and his or her family members to help meet that individual’s needs. Services span the care continuum -- from providing companionship and personal care to specialized Alzheimer’s care and hospice support. Also available are family caregiver education and support resources. At Home Instead Senior Care, it’s relationship before task, while striving to provide superior quality service.