Home Health Care Providers
Home health care is when a care provider comes to the home of a person who, either due to age or due to a disability, are unable to perform basic activities of daily life, like bathing and dressing themselves. The provider can be a nurse or a nurse assistant, or it can be a person without formal medical training.
There are many forms that home health care can take, all of which depend on how much help the patient needs. Some patients just need occasional help with their housework or with shopping and cooking. Other patients require regular medical assistance.
The best thing to do is to evaluate the current and likely future needs of your loved one before you contact a home health care provide to discuss your options. The care level available is a wide range of services, from occasional visits to live-in companionship. You can discuss your needs and options with a home health care agency.
Medicare will usually provide some coverage for home health care, although the amount depends on the medical needs of the patient and can change over time. If you are interested in care that is beyond that covered by Medicare, you’ll need to be willing to pay for it out of pocket. Sometimes this means that you have to reduce the amount of care you’d like to provide for your loved one but most home health care companies can help arranging financing.
Over time you may find that your loved one requires more care. This is a common occurrence and many people find that at a certain level of care it becomes more reasonable to look into assisted care living facilities instead of home health care. However, most seniors would prefer to stay in their homes and their families frequently do the best they can to honor that as long as possible.
You may find that although the patient can stay with home health care, they need to upgrade the kind of provider they use. Some patients who begin home health care with basic care eventually need to have a nurse come to the home to provide for their medical needs and conditions.
Home health care is best for seniors who are still largely independent and have few serious health issues. These people may need help with bathing and dressing but are otherwise safe to live alone. Those that live far from their family may also benefit from the social interaction with their care providers.
Home health care is the best choice for most seniors needing help with day to day activities. Contact your local home health care agency for more information, and to discuss the options that are available to you.