National Home Care & Hospice Month Focus on Last Great Civil Rights Battle

WASHINGTON, Nov. 8, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Ensuring the right to be cared for in our homes is America's last great civil rights battle. This November as Americans celebrate National Home Care & Hospice Month, the National Association for Home Care and Hospice celebrates the critically important home care and hospice workers who go about their jobs every day often unnoticed by society at large.

"There are few, if any, more difficult or vulnerable times people will ever face in life than when in hospice," notes NAHC President Val J. Halamandaris. "Hospice workers truly lift people up when they need it most, helping them live each moment to the fullest. And what home care workers do when they walk in the door conjures up images from old Western movies when the cavalry arrives, rescuing people from whatever circumstance," he adds.

As more Americans take advantage of new policies in the recent health care legislation that allow them more access to home care and hospice, the demand for qualified home health aides, registered nurses and other care providers will grow. Job growth in the industry is expected to increase an astounding 48 percent by 2018. The home care and hospice industries hold great potential for a rewarding career.

This November, NAHC is also focusing in on the unique nature of home care and hospice services, connecting with patients in a more personal, more human way. Beyond simply tending to health care needs, home care and hospice professionals provide a social interaction, meeting with individuals who in many cases would otherwise be alone and left "in the shadows."

"What these people do when they come into your home is a lot more than looking out for your medical care," explains Halamandaris. "They're looking out for your well-being, helping you navigate around the house if you have a disability. We need more people every day to join the growing ranks of these astounding professionals."

For more information on the National Association for Home Care and Hospice, photos and stories of amazing professionals, and National Home Care Month, National Hospice Month, and Home Care Aide Week, visit www.nahc.org/HCHPCMonth/10.

SOURCE National Association for Home Care and Hospice