Considering a Career in Home Health? Here’s What You Need to Know

Professionals of all backgrounds can find their dream job in home health. Whether you’re in nursing, therapy, social work, administration, or one of the many other fields that integrate with home health, our industry offers a world of opportunity.

We love helping others discover passionate, rewarding careers with Mission Healthcare. But before you jump into it, you’ll want to know what working with us is really all about. Here’s what you need to know if you’re considering a career in home health:

Home Health is Not Like Working in a Facility

The goal of home health is to provide the level of acute care given in medical facilities. However, you’re instead working with patients in their homes.

Going into someone’s home and attending to their medical needs is far different than treating them in a hospital. The level of responsibility is elevated. You can’t pop your head out the door and ask for an extra opinion or second set of hands—it’s just you and the patient. This means you’ll have to apply all of your knowledge and experience with complete confidence, whereas you might have more specialization and support in a facility.

You Must Be Autonomous

Are you fiercely decisive, obsessively organized, and internally motivated? Good, because autonomy is a prerequisite for working in home health. While you’re out in the field traveling to and caring for patients, there will be no one with you to remind you about other responsibilities that might overlap. You’re entirely responsible for your own schedule, and for making important medical decisions based on the condition of the patient at hand.

Your Schedule is Flexible

The great thing about having a highly autonomous job is that your schedule is flexible. You can decide—to a degree, of course—whether you want to work more in the mornings or the afternoons, at the beginning or end of the week, or evenly across the board. In between appointments, you can run personal errands, meet a friend for lunch, or just enjoy the freedom of not having to sit at a desk all day. You can truly achieve a work/life balance in home health.

The Industry is Booming

According to a 2015 report from Harris Williams & Co., home health is an $87 billion dollar market and growing. Between the aging baby boomer population and sweeping healthcare reform, experts all agree that home health will continue to play a pivotal role in the U.S. healthcare system. For you, that means endless opportunity, long-term job security, and competitive salaries.

Home Health is Highly Emotional

When you see a patient in a hospital or nursing facility, you only get a snapshot of who they really are. When you treat a patient within their own home, you’re getting the full picture of how they live, what’s on their mind, how they interact with family members, and, most importantly, what type of care they need. The result is a strong emotional bond that will have a profound impact on you not only through their challenges and triumphs, but for the rest of your life. 

It’s Challenging and Rewarding

Theodore Roosevelt once said, “Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.”

Indeed, home health offers the chance to achieve Roosevelt’s pinnacle of living. Working with patients in the home is exceedingly challenging, and equally rewarding. We’re all extremely dedicated to our work here at Mission Healthcare. If you’re interested in joining us, visit our online career portal to browse open job listings and submit your application.