Starting a Home Health ..Help?

JayinLA · Apr 5, 2009

You worked at County? I went to Los Angeles County College of Nursing. We did most of our clinicals there and I thought it was great.

I actually don't have experience as a HH nurse, but I do plan on working for an agency maybe once a week just to wet my feet a little bit before I begin to actively pursue the hh biz.

muffin7 · Apr 6, 2009

I also went to LACCON and graduated in May 2006. What a coincidence. When did you graduate?? I went through the OR Training Program right out of school. I then gave them my 1 year per my contract and then left for the 12 hour shifts at Huntintgon Hospital.

muffin7 · Apr 6, 2009

I meant to ask:

Do you know of any agencys who will train you and then send you out on assingments. I would love to work agency or per diem (problem:no experience)and keep some sense of flexibility. Do you have any advice for me?? It sounds like you know what you are doing.

JayinLA · Apr 6, 2009

No way! I was right behind you, Class of 07. I kinda stood out because I was the youngest in the class. You were probably one of my student teachers-haha.

Anyways, when I find a good agency I'll let you know.

govprop2000 · May 23, 2011

Speaking from personal experience, the business is hard and there is a lot of competition. Not only are the franchises competing with one another but so are the smaller owned home-care agencies. The problem with owning your own business is the start up cost and overhead expenses, on the other hand buying into a franchise is also costly but you have your name, logo, flyers etc.. all made up for you already (you have to have the right qualifications to buy into one as well). I worked for two major home-care agencies and I can tell you they were struggling and this was five years ago. Most charge the client 17-22 per hour and alot of the times if the person is insightful enough to do their own background check on the caregiver they can have one for as little as 10 per hour...trust me these agency owners know nothing but the background check about these caregivers and whatever it says on their resumes.
Most of the time your major job will be marketing and that is a headache all in itself. Some of the clients are really odd as well and will only need help for 3 hours per week! I mean that doesn't cover anything, even if you own and operate out of your house. Find out what your local department on aging says, is there a need for this type of service in your particular area, what is your competition? Research as much as possible, I don't mean to sound completely negative but it is really tuff and I live in a huge city.

If your in home health you should be in it for the medicare license. I dont believe home health is hard to run if you have the right person running the company. We went from 14 patients (medicare) when I started to 75(medicare) in 6 months. Multiply that number by $2500(average per patient) every two months.

Here's the deal. The medical industry is very difficult for those that have no experience in it. Most people have the ability to learn home health and run an business but the quality of that business is up in the air.

I have seen too many business people run home health agencies into the ground because they couldn't relate medically to why their staff kept leaving and why patients were not getting seen. They would cut costs in the worse areas possible and make purchases that made no sense.

I am currently pulling a company out of the dirt; well already pulled out now just washing off. They even resist me at times with ideas but there is a right way and a wrong way to do home health and if you do it wrong your throwing your money away if you do it right you'll make more than you imagined.

By the way I'm looking to open and certify a home health agency; looking for the capital. Might just do it myself already now I can get the patients as well as the license.