Nursing home business models change and evolve with the times as the population ages and the need for home health and long-term care companies grows. To remain strong and make sure that your business is offering the most competitive service and amenities, you need to keep up with the industry news. Software to run home health care plans that tracks patient care, billing and staffing needs is consistently being revised and developed.

Follow the trends that are affecting home care companies by reading home health care publications that keep you updated with news about growth areas and insurance trends. Get home nursing business newsletters to learn about emerging IT and business models. For home-nursing business owners, the latest news should be followed on a number of fronts.

1. Get home-nursing administrator newsletters to stay on top of innovative developments.

2. Subscribe to resources for home nursing services that cover industry news and trends in detail.

3. Participate in associations for home nursing businesses for additional news resources.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Receive reports from home nursing services to stay abreast of changes that could impact your company

Watch for home nursing business email alerts, RSS feeds and newsletters that you can set up to send you breaking news. Consider consumer trends to help you with budgets and planning. Pay attention to new home health government regulations and the changes that take place in the all-important health insurance industry. Watch for new IT developments that will help you save valuable resources by streamlining your patient records and timekeeping operations.

I recommend: Nurse.com is a must-read for professionals who need to keep up with the latest industry news. Click on the register button to receive news and publications that cover the industry. Follow the trends and the latest news affecting nursing homes through the Consumer Affairs publication Nursing Home News.

Read about the latest trends in home health care to help you with your business forecasting

Follow in-depth home health and long-term care reports that cover the industry further than the headlines. Look for trends in long-term nursing care such as the growing need for intense geriatric training, the expectations of new customers and how nursing care facilities are incorporating the latest diagnostic and workout equipment into their operations.

I recommend: Medical News Today covers the nursing home industry with headline and trend news reports. Join in discussion groups and receive important reports about nursing home news at Nursing Link.

Join home care groups that provide members with vital information

Association with other professionals in the nursing home business will provide you with insight and opportunity to learn about the issues that drive the industry, including the latest government compliance regulations, statistics on the aging population and how small, privately owned home nursing businesses can compete with larger corporate companies that dominate the field in many areas.

I recommend: Stay in the loop while developing important contacts and participating in industry events through the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging or the Visiting Nurse Associations of America. The American Health Care Association tracks changes and emerging issues that drive the industry.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Listen to your clients and the concerns they raise as they follow their own sources of home health and long-term care news. They can often tip you off to a trend that may be stirring and could have a strong impact on your own business.

Home health and long-term care are two of the most rapidly growing areas within the nursing field. Nurses and other health care professionals who work in these areas enjoy a close-knit atmosphere and the ability to form a bond with their patients.

But working in the nursing home business is also a challenge, because the laws regulating this area change frequently, making compliance a full-time job. The emotional demands are also great, because nurses don't send patients home with their problem fixed. Instead, they care for these patients until the end of the patients' lives.

Home health and long-term care services include:

1. Visiting nursing
2. Home health care / home nursing
3. Assisted living facilities and nursing homes
4. Hospice

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Join professional associations for home care and nursing home administrators

By joining state and national associations for nursing homes and home health agencies, you can connect with other long-term care professionals and learn about the newest legislation and how it might affect you.

I recommend: The American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging is geared toward aging services professionals from not-for-profit organizations who want to serve as advocates for both residents and facilities. Or you may want to join your state's nursing home association, such the Louisiana Nursing Home Association or the Pennsylvania Health Care Association.

Stay informed of state and federal nursing home regulations

With the widespread reports of nursing home abuse over the last several years, state and federal agencies began enacting stricter regulations and guidelines for nursing homes and other long-term care facilities. Nursing homes are scrutinized like never before, so if you're a nursing home administrator, you'll want to make complying with these laws your top priority.

I recommend: At the NHRegsPlus website, search for regulations by state. Or, subscribe to the Nursing Home Regulations Manual, which offers advice on staying compliant with the latest changes to nursing home law.

Seek out resources specifically for home nursing businesses

While home health businesses and nursing homes share a similar mission, their needs and the regulations governing them differ slightly, so it's a good idea to consult with agencies and groups dedicated to helping home health agencies thrive and stay compliant.

I recommend: The Home Health Agency Center at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services offers manuals, educational resources and links to information about home health regulations. The National Association for Home Care and Hospice represents home care agencies and hospices. And the Home Health Nurses Association provides information and resources for nurses working in home health.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If you're a nurse who's seeking more independence, you may want to start a home nursing business. These enterprises are growing in popularity among nurses who now would like to be their own boss. In many cases, they don't even need to rent office space at first, instead coordinating everything from their home and sending out nurses and home health aides to clients.

As the Baby Boomer generation ages, more families are relying on nursing homes and home nursing to meet their home health and long-term care needs. Adults that can't afford to stay home with aging parents, but don't want to put them in a nursing home facility, often choose home care as an alternative.

Home health care aides and nursing home administrators are currently in demand, but both of these jobs are subject to certification, licensing and ongoing training. In order to work, and move up, in a home nursing business, your home nursing education and training should focus on the following:

1. Becoming a certified aide to provide home nursing services.

2. Earning a license and degree as a nursing home administrator.

3. Participating in continuing education programs to further your knowledge of home care.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Become a certified home care aide

As a home health care aide you will be responsible for providing nursing services to individuals in the privacy of their homes. Home care aides can be certified in general practice or specialize in specific fields like diabetes care or invalid care.

I recommend: Attend Home Care Partners home care aide certification program. It includes safety and health care training, along with hands-on patient care training. Home Care of PA offers a home health aide certification program that will train you in all the vital aspects of home health and long-term care. It will also assist with job placement after you're certified.

Get licensed as a nursing home administrator

There are strict licensing and certification requirements to become an administrator in the nursing home business. Nursing home administrators are responsible for the care and safety of each patient in their nursing home, so it's important that they are educated in every aspect of nursing services.

I recommend: The New York State Department of Health published these qualifications needed to obtain a license as a nursing home administrator in the state of New York. Review these regulations to acquaint yourself with the regulations and licensing process. Obtain certification as a nursing home administrator through the American College of Health Care Administrators.

Enroll in home care and nursing continuing education programs

Continuing education programs, often called CE, are vital to nursing home administrators and home health service providers. Continuing education programs allow you to continue your education and stay knowledgeable about development, news and innovations in the field.

I recommend: Achieve CE US offers continuing education hours for nursing home administrators focusing on a wide variety of topics. Continue your education in topics that are relevant to your clientele. Certified nurse aides can earn continuing education credits with a program offered by UTA Division of Continuing Education.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Attend home care seminars that include speakers such as head nurses and hospital administrators to better understand the health care industry and your place in the field.

If you are looking at the home nursing business, there is much to learn before you can make an informed decision. Having knowledge of home nursing key terms can help you familiarize yourself with the business and be able to discuss the most common aspects of home nursing without having to go back and look something up. Learning as much as you can about home nursing key terms will help your business run more smoothly and keep everyone in the know about home nursing.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Assisted living facilities

An assisted living facility is not the same as a nursing home; assisted living facilities allow clients to be more independent. These are residences where a person can get help with things they can't do on their own--otherwise, they live independent lives. They may need to have access to a nurse or doctor at any given time, for instance.

I recommend: Assisted Living Info has excellent information on assisted living facilities.

Hospice

Hospice care allows a terminally ill patient to spend their last moments at home before they pass away. These are typically patients that have no further treatment options.

I recommend: Thirteen explains hospice care.

Not-for-profit

A not-for-profit organization is one that can be a charity or any other business that does not work on a profit basis. Money raised goes to pay for operating costs and provide benefits for clients.

I recommend: Investor Words has a very simplistic yet straight answer on not-for-profit organizations and the requirements under which they operate.

Nursing home regulations

Nursing home regulations are specific rules that the entities that operate nursing homes must follow. These regulations are to ensure that the patients get quality care and that no one is being neglected or abused.

I recommend: The Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Resource Center has a guide on nursing home regulations.

Medicaid

Medicaid is a health care program, jointly funded by Federal and State governments, that provides medical care to people who cannot otherwise afford it. Medicaid allows those that are indigent or need money for heath care to be able to see a doctor or get prescriptions filled. Medicaid rules and regulations vary by state.

I recommend: The Social Security site gives information about Medicaid and who qualifies for the program.

Medicare

Medicare is similar to Medicaid but it is given to people over the age of 65 and is based on their age, not their need.

I recommend: wiseGEEK is an excellent source of Medicare information.