Competencen in home care

Abstract

More and more people are receiving care while living in their own homes, a far greater number than are in residential and nursing home care, and in some cases with more complex needs. Yet there persists an image of home care as a very basic activity needing little or no training and in volving no career pr ogression. This image will have to change radically if registered providers are to meet the new national regulatory standards and if there is to be sufficient staff recruitment to meet the ever increasing demand for home care. This article sets out ways in which provider or ganisations can respond to these changes, particularly by building staff development and training strategies. Such strategies must recognise the growing importance and complexity of home care and take special account of the need for staff to gain vocational qualifications. Home care must be seen as offering professional career opportunities, not just a job. The article concludes that the future will lie in bringing care to the people who need it, rather than bringing people to the care.

Citation

Bell, L. (2001), "Competencen in home care", Quality in Ageing and Older Adults, Vol. 2 No. 2, pp. 13-20. https://doi.org/10.1108/14717794200100013