Industry Profile -- by Jennifer Bysterveld

You probably have at least some idea of what home care is. Maybe you know someone who has left the hospital early and had follow-up visits from a nurse. Or maybe you know of a senior who once a week has someone come in to help with cleaning or grocery shopping. These types of services fall into the Home Care Industry, which includes all those involved in providing health services to patients in the patients' home. This industry is gaining more attention and growing rapidly for several reasons:

• provincial funding changes cause patients in acute-care hospitals to be sent home before they are fully able to function independently;
• increasing number of senior citizens are remaining in their homes as long as possible;
• and Calgary's population growth means overcrowding in hospitals and clinics.

Each of these issues can be alleviated with an increased use of home health care and as demand for these services grows, demand for employees grows.

The Work

The people we talked to in this industry indicated that most people do not enter into this field for financial gain; rather, they become health care workers because they wish to work in a service industry where they hold a position of responsibility and are able to alleviate pain. As such, most health care workers have a high degree of job satisfaction. However, stress due to irregular hours and large case loads is seen to be an issue in this industry. Health care professionals, such as Registered Nurses (RN) and Licensed Practical Nurse's (LPN), generally have longer career spans of 10 to 25 years, while employees in entry-level positions have shorter career spans. The industry is still predominantly female and this does not appear to be changing significantly.

The Jobs

Registered Nurses are responsible for evaluating the needs of the home care patient and co-ordinating a treatment and/or rehabilitation program with the other home care professionals. Training is available from the University of Calgary, Alberta and Lethbridge in the form of diplomas or degrees.

• NOC - 3152
• Starting Wages - $15.00-$18.00

Licensed Practical Nurses administer medication, change dressings and ensure that the patient's health is not being compromised. A one-year diploma is available from the Alberta Vocational Colleges in Calgary, Edmonton and Lesser Slave Lake.

• NOC - 3233
• Starting Wages - $10.00-$12.00

Personal Care Attendants/Home Support Aides provide bedside and personal care for people in times of recovery or disability. There is no specific training available, however, each employer prefers certain experience or training.

• NOC - 6471
• Starting Wages - $7.25-$8.00

Physical Therapists assist patients, by implementing treatment programs and through manual therapy, to achieve their fullest physical, medical and functional potential. For example, they may help people who have had major back surgery learn to walk again. Training for this occupation is available at the University of Alberta (Bachelor of Science in Rehabilitation Medicine).

• NOC - 3143
• Starting Wages - $19.00

Respiratory Therapists diagnose and treat patients with respiratory disorders through use of respiratory equipment and careful monitoring. A two-year joint hospital/institute program is available from both the Northern and Southern Alberta Institutes of Technology.

• NOC - 3214
• Starting Wage - $18.00

Speech Therapists assess, diagnose and treat speech disorders through a variety of exercises. A Master in Speech-Language Pathology is available from the University of Alberta.

• NOC - 3141
• Starting Wage - $20.00

Rehabilitation Therapists assist people with disabilities to achieve more independence in their lives through strengthening their life skills. The following institutions offer a two-year diploma: Grande Prairie Regional College, Grant MacEwan Community College, Lakeland College, Lethbridge Community College, Mount Royal College, Red Deer College. A one-year diploma is available from Medicine Hat College or Mount Royal College.

• NOC - 4212
• Starting Wage - $19.00

Companions help people with grocery shopping, transportation, house duties or by providing general companionship. Prior experience is preferred.

• NOC - 6471
• Starting Wages - $6.00-$6.50

Homemakers help with both light and heavy housekeeping duties and may help with meal preparation or laundry. Prior experience is preferred.

• NOC - 6471
• Starting Wages - $6.75-$7.50

What Employers Want

As well as any specific education or training that is required for a particular position, there are some general skills and traits employers in this industry look for:

• must be over 18 years old
• experience caring for the sick or elderly (especially for Personal Care Attendants, Companions and Homemakers); this does not have to be employment related but can include caring for a relative or volunteer work outgoing and able to communicate with clients who are many times tired, frustrated and in pain

Employment Opportunities

This industry is growing fast in Alberta, which is partly due to an increase in government funding of home care and partly to the greater consumer demand. All this translates into increase employment opportunities. There is continual hiring for entry-level positions at most companies. There is also a great demand for the professional occupations, as many employees leave this industry for the more regular hours and higher wages offered by hospitals and nursing homes. Industry representatives indicate that the current boom will continue for the next three to four years.

New employees are generally located through posting job openings in the newspapers or at educational institutions, although word of mouth and self-referral are used to a lesser degree. Wages have increased in the last year by approximately 5% on average. Wages for some home care workers are slightly lower than for those working in hospitals or nursing homes, but they also have much more flexibility in terms of what hours they work and when.

For more information

If this industry catches your attention, there is more information to be found. Specific occupations can be researched in Alberta Advanced Education and Career Development's Occupational Profiles or Human Resources Development Canada's Job Futures. Course catalogues for various educational institutions, which provide more detail on training programs, are also available on-line. And last but not least, it is always a good idea to contact employers directly (use the Internet or the Yellow Pages to find some names).

For more information in Labour Market go to Complimentary Health Practitioners Industry