A Path to Home Access

Published in Home Modifications on February 08, 2023

This article was originally featured in HomeCare Magazine.

The home access industry has seen a turning point arrive in the last 18 months. There has been a great deal of investment into the industry, public awareness has grown, legislation has been introduced and, most of all, the increased demand for our services has resulted in our estimation an 18% to 20% industry growth rate for 2022. 

We believe that double-digit growth will continue through the next four to six years fueled by the retail market for aging in place. 

The industry is starting to take steps to define what we do and professionalize ourselves. To ensure sustainability, we are starting to build an apprenticeship program for field technicians. This will be a long-term project that will bring more value by providing skills and knowledge to the current workforce and incubate a whole new generation of technicians who are attracted to the construction field and the meaningful customer touch that home access brings. 

Here at VGM Live at Home, we are working to produce a white paper that will detail the best practices for collaboration between clinical specialists and home access professionals. By defining roles and conforming the assessment process, we hope to build an industry that can become an added and valuable piece to the homecare spectrum—and more broadly to the continuum of care. 

The one question home access companies need to ask themselves as they prepare for 2023 is: “What infrastructure and systems should I implement into my business operations to allow for scalable growth moving forward?” As a small but growing niche industry, we currently do not have project management or operating software specifically designed for our unique needs. In many cases, we also do not have polished sales programs that enable us to effectively present ourselves and our solutions to retail prospects. We foresee potential solutions on the horizon and the home access industry needs to embrace this type of technology and growth. 

I see the next two years as the time where the home access industry shows great progress in its maturity and becomes a known entity in the United States market. There are many challenges ahead, but market growth is not one of them. 

Jim Greatorex, Vice President, 

VGM Live at Home 

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