CHICAGO, May 6, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- With National Nurse's Week starting May 6, BrightStar Care, a full-service home care agency that provides both medical and non-medical care to patients from infants to elders, as well as healthcare staffing solutions, seeks to educate the public about the increasing role that in-home care nurses are playing in the nation's healthcare system. Today, BrightStar Care employs more than 4,000 nurses who provide high-level, compassionate care to people in their homes, and the franchise expects to hire another 15,000 nurses over the next five years to meet demand for in-home medical care.
Many factors are driving the demand for alternative medical care options, including in-home care. According to a recent study by AARP, by 2015, those over 50 years old will represent 45 percent of the U.S. population, meaning the first wave of Baby Boomers will join the growing list of seniors who want to "age in place." This creates unique opportunities for nurses to use their skill sets in alternative environments, i.e. patient's homes.
With flexible work hours and the ability to develop strong, personal relationships with patients, in-home care is quickly becoming a highly desired form of employment for nurses. BrightStar Care provides a unique and appealing opportunity for nurses looking to find alternative employment options. It is one of the only national homecare companies that require each office to have a registered nurse as a director of nursing who creates a unique and personalized plan of care for each client. BrightStar Care nurses provide highly skilled services — like medication assistance, infusion therapy, and wound care — to a range of individuals from infants to elders in the comfort of home.
"We truly appreciate and respect the nurses who care for our clients and their families in the comfort of their homes across the country on a daily basis," said Shelly Sun, Co-Founder and CEO of BrightStar Care. "Our Registered Nurse Director of Nursing designs an individualized plan of care for each client based on his or her unique needs and takes a holistic approach to make the situation less overwhelming for the entire family. This is what sets us apart from other agencies--these nurses play a critical role in improving the quality of life for patients and their families."
The more than 250 BrightStar Care locations across the country employ more than 16,000 nurses, certified nursing assistants (CNAs), and home health aides (HHAs), including 2,000 registered nurses, 2,300 Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) and Licensed Vocational Nurses (LVNs). One in every eight of BrightStar Care's field staff employees is a licensed RN, and one in every four members of BrightStar Care field staff holds a nursing degree (RN, LPN, or LVN).
Further differentiating themselves in the in-home care segment, BrightStar Care locations are required to attain accreditation by The Joint Commission, a nationally recognized healthcare quality standards organization. After demonstrating compliance with the Joint Commission's national standards for healthcare quality and safety, the agency earns The Gold Seal of Approval™, a symbol of quality that reflects the franchise's commitment to meeting specific performance standards. This is not a requirement amongst most homecare companies and it demonstrates BrightStar's continued commitment to being the clinical quality leader in home care.
About BrightStar Care
Based in Chicago, BrightStar Care is a national franchise with more than 250 locations that provide full-service staffing of medical and non-medical homecare to private clients from children to older adults within their homes, as well as supplemental staffing to healthcare organizations and corporate clients. Each of BrightStar's locations voluntarily pursue Joint Commission accreditation, a nationally recognized measure of quality that is recognized throughout the healthcare industry. BrightStar Care's well-qualified, attentive caregivers provide peace of mind to clients and their families, providing a customized care plan to match clients with qualified, pre-screened caregivers that best suit their needs. BrightStar Care is one of the few home care providers that offer both medical and non-medical homecare, available to all clients 24/7. BrightStar uses the nationally known patient satisfaction survey company Press Ganey to measure client satisfaction and is proud that 9 out of 10 clients would recommend us to a friend.
For more information on BrightStar Care please visit http://www.247brightstar.com/">brightstarcare.com; to find out more about BrightStar Franchising, visit http://www.brightstarfranchise.com/">www.brightstarfranchise.com.