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Knowing your Elder
Care options makes
the
decision much easier for the entire family.
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You visit whenever you can but
lately your time together is spent doing the housework or preparing meals for the
remainder of the week. You are anxious
lately and call often just to check.
Your loved ones are slowing down and some tasks of daily life are beginning
to be too much to bother with on their own.
There is a stale smell in the kitchen and laundry hasn’t been done. Papers, bills and junk mail clutter the
countertops. When you realize that the pill
box for the week hasn’t been touched and you know that help is necessary. Yet you realistically can’t be there every
day.
The realization that help
is needed is the first step, but then what?
You need to take the necessary measures to provide care, security and
safety without offending the dignity of those you love. There are a lot of
Elder Care options available to choose from.
How do you know which is right for your loved ones’ needs? Here is some basic information about one
option – Home Health Care.
What is Home Health
Care?
Home
Health provides care for people who require additional help with their daily
activities and prefer staying in their own homes instead of being institutionalized
or relying on relatives. The elderly, those recovering from hospitalization or
illness, long-term disabled and new mothers, all can benefit from Home Health care.
Home Health also provides respite care when the family caregiver needs time
off.
Where can Care take place?
Home
Health Caregivers are available to serve your loved one at their own home, in
an assisted living facility, a nursing home or a long-term rehabilitation
facility. They travel to the Client and
provide individualized care where ever the Client is located.
Types
of Home Health Care
There are
two types of Home Health care options generally available. There is Medical
Home Health Care which provides
skilled nursing care, rehabilitation and hospice care. There is also Non-Medical
Home Health Care. This type of
care provides Caregivers who assist with personal cares (bathing, toileting,
and dressing); housekeeping, laundry and meal preparation; shopping and
companionship; transportation and medication reminders. They also provide respite care to give the
family caregiver some time off.
Cost
of Home Health Care
Compared
to institutionalized care, Home Health Care is an economical option. In many
cases care packages can be organized according to your loved one’s individual
needs. An initial assessment interview will usually be done to help determine
exactly what care is necessary and that plan can be reviewed and updated as
needs change. If a package plan is not necessary, then occasional care is
billed out at an hourly rate.
In
most cases, HomeAid services cost less than those in an assisted-living
facility or an institutionalized home. With customize care scheduled for your
loved one’s individual needs; you only pay for what is really necessary. In most cases if care is less than 8 to 10
hours a day, Home Health Care is a less expensive option than Assisted Living. Once the care needs increase to closer to full
time care, then it is time to look at Assisted Living as a more economical
option.
Home Health Caregivers
Caregivers
working for in Home Health are usually in that field because they prefer the
one-on-one relationship they enjoy with their Client and the flexibility of
hours. The Caregivers vary in
qualifications depending upon if they work in Medical Home Health or
Non-Medical. Look for Caregivers who are
CNA or CBRF certified for Non-Medical Home Health Care and skilled nurses, RN
or LPN, for Medical Home Health Care. Do
make sure the Caregiver is carefully interviewed and screened before coming into
your home. Every effort should be made to match personalities and interests between
caregiver and client.
Private Duty vs. Home Health Agency
There
are many reasons why choosing a Home Health Agency is better than hiring an
independent caregiver to care for your loved one. The main reason is that the
person providing care is the agency’s employee and their responsibility. The
agency will take care of screening and training the caregivers and are
responsible for them being bonded and insured. That way there is no need to be
anxious about care quality or the liability of having a stranger in your home.
Another major reason is the agency will take care of all taxes and Worker’s
Compensation. You won’t have to deal with filing tax forms or worry about any of
the legal issues involving the employment of a Caregiver.
Another advantage is that the agency will
usually have a pool of caregivers who can step in at a moment’s notice if the
scheduled Caregiver is sick or has an emergency.
In addition, an agency will keep a close eye on
the relationship you have with your caregiver. At the initial meeting the
agency will assess the care needs and make a care package plan, and then will
continuously assesses how that plan is working. They will monitor their staff
to make sure they are on time and diligent in providing quality care. The
agency will also keep in communication with you to make sure you are pleased
with the service you are paying for.
Home Health Care is
definitely an option to consider when you loved ones begin to need help to stay
at home. Home Health offers some great advantages. An individual always benefits
emotionally and psychologically from staying at home, whenever possible. Independence
is an important issue to the aging and having a Caregiver’s assistance will
make remaining independent at home that much easier. In addition, choosing a
customized care plan provides tremendous economic savings as you only pay for
the care that is necessary. Home Health Care provides as much or little care as
needed to ensure your loved one stays happily and safely at home; the place
where we all prefer to be.
Kate McCarthy is Director of Operations for HomeAid Health Care which provides services for the elderly who wish to remain safe and independent at home. HomeAid is sister company to Prairie Home Assisted Living which has served the physical, spiritual, mental and health needs of their residents since 1999. Together the two family owned companies provide comprehensive care for the elderly and disabled in the Fox Valley of Wisconsin.
