Thanks to a new law passed in Arizona, a major player in the home health space announced this week that it will help train and pay family members taking care of their loved ones at home.
Aveanna Healthcare Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq: AVAH) announced Tuesday that it will participate in Arizona’s Family Licensed Health Aide Program, which will allow parents, relatives and other family members — who meet eligibility requirements — to care for their younger family members and be compensated for the work they do.
Arizona became the third state in the country this year – along with Colorado and New Hampshire – to give the parents and legal guardians of medically fragile children the opportunity to receive free training to become a licensed health aide (LHA).
Based in Atlanta, Aveanna delivers home health, private-duty services and hospice care to a broad range of patients in 30 states. Though it is now heavily invested in the senior home health space, it began as one of the nation’s largest at-home pediatric care providers.
An Aveanna spokesperson told Home Health Care News that the company believes the Arizona program will have a significant and positive effect on medically fragile children and their families.
“This program will help address the acute nursing crisis in the state and provide families with the option to provide reimbursed care to their own child with training from approved providers like Aveanna,” the spokesperson said. “Aveanna is pleased to bring the program to life by offering training and support to families who are interested in signing up for this innovative program.”
Aveanna expects high demand for the program due to the caregiver shortage.
Generally, labor challenges have forced many family members to stay home and take care of their loved ones, interrupting their work lives. If family members have to prioritize work, that leaves children at risk without proper care.
In the future, Aveanna hopes the model will be replicated elsewhere.
“This program helps to fill the gap in care as a result of the nursing shortage that has become a crisis on the heels of the COVID-19 pandemic,” the Aveanna spokesperson said. “Aveanna plans to work with the state and the board of nursing on any future plans and we hope to bring this program to other states in the future.”
Several states around the country — such as New York, Tennessee, Maine and Texas — have also taken unique measures to combat the direct care workforce crisis in home-based care.
“With the ability to receive training and pay for the care they provide to loved ones, these caregivers will be better able to overcome the dilemma of having to balance the responsibilities of a job with the need to secure medical care for their family members at home,” Aveanna COO Jeff Shaner said in a press release.
Aveanna’s Q4 revenue was $414.1 million. Its full-year revenue for 2021 was about $1.7 billion.
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