SURVEY: Only 32% of Health Care Pros Consider Home Health for Acute Conditions

SUNRISE, Fla. (November 10, 2021)—Interim HealthCare Inc., a franchise network of homecare, senior care, home health, hospice and health care staffing services, released a new national study examining the shifting perspectives around access to medical care and changing opinions on health care careers brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
To help better understand consumers’ knowledge of the scope of home health care services and how those sentiments may have changed after the onset of COVID-19, Interim HealthCare commissioned the online Home Health Insights Study of 2,070 adults in the United States, among whom 186 are licensed medical professionals, conducted by The Harris Poll. Among the findings, it revealed that more than two-thirds (71%) of licensed medical professionals have considered a career shift to home health care as a way to reconnect with why they originally entered the field. Additionally, 67% of Americans have thought differently about their own health care options or those of a loved one as a result of the pandemic, with 65% agreeing that they would have considered home health care as an alternative to a past hospital stay if they knew it was an option.
 
“We have seen a tremendous amount of stress being placed on those working tirelessly in every corner of health care since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Jennifer Sheets, CEO and president of Interim HealthCare Inc. “This survey highlights the very real effects of the burnout we’ve been observing across the industry. In addition, it emphasizes consumers’ growing interest in the superior quality and accessible services that home health care can provide, coinciding with a greater need for skilled, passionate individuals to join us in delivering home health care.”
 
Pandemic Shifts Consumers’ Preferences for Care
Over the past 20 months, people across the country have witnessed the unprecedented strains on medical facilities and the enduring tragedies taking place in hospitals, nursing facilities and long-term care centers. This has resulted in a paradigm shift when considering how to approach end-of-life care, with 82% of Americans preferring to face end-of-life at home versus at a hospital more now than they did prior to the pandemic. In addition, 61% indicated a fear of dying alone more now than they did prior to COVID-19. Due to strict hospital and facility rules for visitors at the bedside over much of the last two years, the popularity in-home health care has increased, especially for those who are chronically ill or reaching the end-of-life stage. Home healthcare is unique in providing the balance of critical care with less restricted access to loved ones in a known environment.
 
Notably, 79% of seniors ages 65-plus say that their quality of life would be significantly better if they could receive health care at home rather than in a hospital or nursing facility, if needed. These results signal the need to educate health care decision-makers on the evolving wishes of the aging population.
 
Lack of Knowledge Around Home Health Care Persists
Despite COVID-19 prompting consumers to reconsider how they may receive care in the future, a widespread lack of knowledge around home health care’s varied services remains among both patients and prescribing medical professionals. The survey found that only 32% of licensed medical professionals believe home health care is an option for acute illnesses, like COVID-19. However, home health care’s customized, patient-centered care can cater to individual needs more effectively, boost emotional health and mental acuity and provide other benefits including improving overall spiritual well-being and the quality of family interactions.
 
Furthermore, only 30% of Americans have used home health care services either for their own care or that of a loved one. Many Americans don’t know that home health care is an option for medically complex individuals, such as those with ALS or spinal cord injuries (62% each). Home health care supports a wide variety of health care needs, from companionship to 24-hour care, including hospice. It provides nearly the same level of care and similar, if not better, outcomes to a hospital or long-term care setting through more cost-effective means and in the more preferred site of care: the patient’s own home. Since early 2020, Interim HealthCare has facilitated the transition of countless individuals from the hospital into home healthcare to continue receiving medical treatment while reducing the ongoing strain on ICU capacity.
 
COVID-19 has reminded the health care industry and its stakeholders that the home can be a viable center of the complex health care ecosystem. Along with the widespread challenges the pandemic presented, home health care emerged as the preferred option for many individuals as they consider future care needs. Interim HealthCare’s full continuum of services meet a variety of requirements, from homecare to hospice, in addition to providing staffing services. Moreover, the company’s commitment to caring for a patient’s mind, body, spirit and family through its HomeLife Enrichment standard of care has led to a higher quality of personalized care that facilitates a joyous, fulfilling and engaged life.

For those interested in exploring how home health care can assist with comprehensive, individual care needs, please visit: differenceishome.com. 

About the Survey
This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of Interim HealthCare from Sept. 14-16, 2021 among 2,070 U.S. adults ages 18 and older, among whom 186 are licensed medical professionals. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables and subgroup sample sizes, please contact [email protected].