Top Homecare Trends for 2021

The home care scales will tip toward franchising

With constantly changing legal requirements, a difficult labor landscape and a long list of coronavirus-related operational challenges, such would-be home care operators will need experienced guides. That’s where franchise models have a possible leg up compared to their peers.

Care management will be a hot topic

In 2021, seniors have access to a seemingly infinite list of services to help with activities of daily living (ADLs) and their overall well-being. That’s especially true when it comes to aging-in-place hardware and software.

To fill communication gaps and improve outcomes, more seniors, payers and providers are turning to care management services, such as: (1) Physician-led house calls (2) Transportation assistance (3) Remote patient monitoring (4) Nutritional support

The demand for companionship services will continue to rise

Home care operators will continue to launch new service lines in 2021, including care management offerings and more. But home care’s bread-and-butter service — companionship — has never been more important.

Even before the coronavirus, older adults in the U.S. faced a loneliness epidemic. Yes, some data suggests a trend in recent years of adult children moving back in with their aging parents due to economic hardship, but a large portion of today’s seniors are disconnected from the world around them.

With these considerations in mind, home care agencies will double down on companionship services, pumping new money into old offerings. Clients, their families and potential referral sources will seek out those agencies that do companionship well.