BAYADA expects home health care market to continue to grow; bright outlook for job opportunities

As BAYADA Home Health Care celebrates its 40th anniversary, the company’s President and Founder Mark Baiada anticipates a bright outlook for careers in caring for adults and children at home. He expects that the increase in the elderly population, coupled with the growing demand for high-tech pediatric care, will translate to more home health care job opportunities for those seeking a career with a stable, growth-oriented employer.

By 2020, the number of home health care professionals is expected to swell by more than 1.3 million – a 70 percent increase from 2010, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That compares with a growth rate of 14 percent for the U.S. job market at large.

BAYADA’s growth has mirrored this trend. In the past five years alone, the number of BAYADA professional caregivers has increased by 64 percent, while the number of clients has grown by 57 percent.

These statistics are a far cry from BAYADA’s humble beginnings. Baiada started his company in Philadelphia with one office, three staff members, and a passion for helping people live in the comfort and safety of home. Today, nearly 20,000 home health care professionals provide nursing, rehabilitative, therapeutic, hospice, and assistive care services to more than 26,000 clients in 21 states.

“It’s a people business,” explained Baiada.  “Back in 1975, I did the research and learned there were a growing number of seniors who wanted to stay at home.  Women were going back to work, and there was the dispersion of the extended family.  Who was going to take care of mom?  Home health care just made sense.”

Indeed, those concerns still ring true today. According to the National Institute on Aging, by 2020, the number of people aged 65 to 74 will grow by 74 percent, while the population under age 65 who are most likely to care for aging parents will increase by only 24 percent.

Thanks to new medications and advances in medical technology, more people are able to remain at home, instead of in a long-term care facility or hospital. New technology has also had a profound effect on children with complex physical and development needs.  According to The National Survey of Children with Special Health Needs, more than 11 million children in the U.S. have special needs.  BAYADA provides nursing care at home and school to this pediatric population. In fact, pediatric care is now approximately one third of the company’s business.

“Pediatric home care didn’t even exist when we first started,” said Baiada. “People are now doing things at home that weren’t done before, like working with feeding tubes and ventilators.”

Employee training, too, has changed with the times.  Today, home health care professionals are given extensive age and diagnosis-specific training for each client in their care.  What’s more, the options for ongoing education include a wide range of online courses, mentoring programs, simulation lab training using life-like manikins to simulate real life emergencies, and scholarship and professional development opportunities for those who want to grow their career.

“We believe our clients come first and our employees are our greatest asset,” said Baiada.  “While we continue to grow and serve more people each year, we never lose sight of our original vision of helping every client live independently at home.  As we celebrate this birthday and look ahead to many more, we remain committed to always providing the very best care with compassion, excellence, and reliability, which is the cornerstone of the mission, vision, and values that we call The BAYADA Way.” 

View a video message from Mark Baiada.

To learn about home health care services or job opportunities, visit www.careers.bayada.com.

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