ORANGE PARK – While the COVID-19 pandemic has cost families their jobs, it has created an overwhelming need for healthcare specialists.

With senior citizens 65 and older becoming one of the largest segments of the population, worries about the pandemic are forcing many elders to remain at home where they feel safest and most comfortable.

Many live alone or with their adult children. Many adult children who remain employed now are working from home. Those aging parents who live with them and the elderly who live alone now need in-home care.

Home Instead of Orange Park fills the additional demand for in-home caregivers.

“We call it in-home care,” said Betsy Miller, co-owner and administrator of the business with her husband Christian. The Millers bought Home Instead eight years ago. “And these things are the things what we point out as bullet points: companionship, meal preparation, light housekeeping, medication reminders, and personal care assistance. Also, we specialize in Alzheimer’s and dementia support. We also have a contract with the [Veterans’ Administration], so I would say about 25% of our patients are V.A.”

With the aging population increasing globally and locally, there aren’t enough assisted living facilities. More people want to stay in their own homes for as long as possible.

The organization is looking for people to fill the caregiver roles as the need increases. They welcome people who are already certified as Home Health Aides, Certified Nursing Assistants or Licensed Practical Nurses.

“We can also work with people with no experience,” she said. “So we can train as well.”

Home Instead has a program which trains people without experience to be in-home caregivers. It doesn’t, however, certify a trainee as a home health aide. It does train the associate to work with the company.

Home Instead has been around for about 25 years. The client list is booming, according to Miller.

“Word of mouth; people know who we are. We have a very good reputation in the industry. So yea, people are calling us. People are needing services. There’s always been a caregiver shortage, so this isn’t something that’s new. But I think it’s something that has become even more magnified over the past year,” Miller said.

Clay County has always been very community-centric on both the clients and caregivers, Miller said.

“People in Clay County are very, very supportive of each other. We do a lot of community-based giving back,” she said. “We’re out in the community; people know us, and they find out about what we’re doing through these efforts. A lot of people don’t think that you could become a caregiver, or they’ve thought about it, but they didn’t know how to go about doing it. We get so many people that once I talk to them during that phone screen or that first interview, they say, ‘I just want to help people.’ And I believe that COVID has really brought that to so many people’s attention.”