A non-medical home care business provides services that help seniors remain independent as long as possible in their own home. Caregivers help with what are called “activities of daily living” (ADLs), such as grocery shopping errands, bathing, dressing, grooming and helping with housework like cleaning and meal preparation.
Most private non-medical care providers are hired by the spouse or adult child when clients are not ready to move to an assisted living facility or prefer home care as a more affordable alternative to a care facility.
Almost all non-medical care is “private-pay,” which means the bills are paid directly by the client or someone in their family. This means caregivers get paid promptly and often earn more hourly than when billed through an insurance company.
Non-medical home care rates currently range from $20 an hour to $40 per hour, depending on the location. Small towns and rural areas, where living costs are lower, are less, and big cities, where living costs are high, tend to be on the high side. Still, the national average is $27 per hour, which works out to $54,000 a year with a 40 hour work week.
Many caregivers who start their own private duty home care business are already working with seniors, but want to make more money. For example, Tricia Moore was working at an assisted living facility, and was frequently asked by her patients and their families if she was available to visit them regularly when they returned home.
This happened over and over again, so she decided to become a private-pay caregiver and start her own business. After a few months, she was totally booked and making double what she was paid at the nursing home. That’s the financial advantage to being your own boss – the client pays the same hourly rate, but you get to keep it all.
It’s important to remember that starting a non-medical home care business is not a get-rich scheme, but a great way to earn a solid income helping seniors live an independent life. That said, there are many caregivers who start out as a “lone eagle,” then expand by hiring employees because the demand is so great. It’s not uncommon to build a million-dollar homecare business in just a few years if that’s the goal.
Whatever your goals, get your copy of “How To Start a Senior Home Care Business” so you’ll have a step-by-step plan to help you get started.