Experts discuss upcoming trends in domiciliary

With an ageing popularity and the rising cost of care homes, domiciliary care is becoming increasingly important and it is a sector that has gone through significant change in the last few years.

Of course, the Covid-19 pandemic has also had a major impact on this sector which will change the landscape in the coming years.

So, what are the upcoming trends in domiciliary care? 

Growth 

Many experts predict that the domiciliary care sector will grow in the coming years due to the fact that people are not receiving enough or any care from the local council along with the fact that people would prefer to receive care at home as opposed to in a care home – this is particularly true with the Covid-19 pandemic which tragically has led to many fatalities in these settings.  

Recruitment Challenges 

While the workforce in this sector grew by an impressive 8.2% in 2014/15, 2018 saw many reports of staff shortages in the care industry and a report revealed that four in 10 home care workers leave their role every year and over 50% of the staff are on zero-hour contracts. Recruitment and retaining staff are clearly major challenges, which is why more needs to be done to attract staff in terms of payment and job security. 

Technology 

As with most industries, technology is playing a major role and will be one of the positive trends in the near future. Using AI in robots could automate a lot of the care that people need in their homes which will bring many benefits and there are even robots in development that are designed for companionship and can recognize and adapt to human emotions.  

Protection 

The coronavirus pandemic has shaken the world in 2020 and businesses in every industry have had to adapt. It is essential for health care bodies like this to have protection in place so that they can manage during turbulent periods, such as care agency insurance which can provide financial protection while also offering advice on how to minimize risk and comply with regulatory bodies. 

The domiciliary sector will be shaped by these trends in the coming years and it is clear that there will be challenges but these can be overcome with a few changes to the system. Domiciliary care is incredibly important and will play a major role in elderly care in the coming years, so it is an industry which needs to be nurtured and supported so that people can receive the care that they need in their homes.