Home care services are a great way to help an aging loved one who lives alone remain independent and continue living in their own home. There are many benefits to having someone come to your loved one’s house on a regular basis to assist with activities of daily living and other tasks. But it’s important that you understand the pros and cons before signing up for home care services for an aging parent or another loved one.
Home care services are often provided by agencies, which have contracts with Medicare or private insurance companies. They may also be provided privately by friends or family members who offer their time as a gift, or perhaps they could be provided via direct hire where you pay the caregiver directly without going through an agency or third-party vendor. When considering getting home care services for your loved one, there are several things you should think about first.
What Is Home Care?
Home care is a type of care that is provided to an individual in the comfort of their own home. This can be anything from personal hygiene to helping with meals and light housework. Home overall health aides come to your loved one’s home at least once a week and can provide one-on-one assistance with ADLs (activities of daily living).
Home health aides can also provide companionship for your loved one so that he or she doesn’t feel alone during the day. Visiting nurses can also provide home care services. They can be especially helpful for individuals who are recovering from surgery or procedure. They can provide medication management, wound care, and other services. Home care services can also include help with things like transportation, errands, and other tasks.
It’s important to note that Medicare doesn’t always cover home care services. Private insurance companies like Blue Cross, Humana, and others might, but Medicare rarely does.
Who Can Benefit From Home Care Services?
If you have a parent or loved one who is living alone and who no longer drives, services usually offered by a home care franchise could be a great way to keep them independent. They can help with things like cooking and meal preparation, cleaning, laundry, and other tasks that your loved one may find challenging. With home health aides, your loved one can still feel like they’re having a sense of control over their lives because they’re making their own meals and living their lives as normally as possible, despite their age.
If your loved one is recovering from a surgery or procedure, home health aides can help with things like bathing, dressing, and medication management. This can be great for individuals who don’t want to go to a hospital or a rehabilitation center but need some additional help recovering from their procedure. Considering care options for an elderly relative can provide peace of mind and tailored support during their recovery journey.
Getting Finances Ready
One thing to think about is that home care services could be more expensive than you think. Medicare doesn’t always cover it, and many private insurance companies don’t either. This is where you might want to consider getting your loved one a home health aide through a private company, like Care.com or HealthCare.gov. There are other ways to get home health aides, but many of these companies allow you to pay on a weekly or monthly basis without any upfront payment whatsoever.
This way, you don’t have to commit to an expensive service and know how much it’s going to cost in advance. Home care services can also be more time-consuming for you when compared to a regular nursing facility or assisted living facility. You may have to do more research to find a good home health aide, and you may be required to do more training and supervise the person assisting your loved one. You may also have to be more involved in transportation. This can be a drawback of home care services, but it’s important to realize that it comes with the territory.
Things to Think About When Getting Home Care Services
How much help your loved one needs is going to be a big thing for you to think about when getting home care services. Will they need one aide to assist with everything, or will they need two different people to come in to help with different things? What hours are they available? What are their qualifications? Any good home health company will have all of this information listed on its website.
You should also think about what kind of personality your loved one has. Is he or she easy to get along with? Is he or she a morning person or a night owl? What is his or her work schedule like? These things can be important when getting home health aides. You want to make sure you find someone who jives well with your loved one and who is going to fit into the family dynamic.
Final Thoughts
Home care services can be a great way to help an aging loved one stay in their home. It can be especially helpful for individuals who no longer drive and who need more assistance with their daily living. Choosing the right home care agency for you is an important decision. You want to make sure that the agency is well-qualified, has good reviews, and offers the services you require. Nevertheless, choosing the right home care agency for your loved one can be a piece of cake as long as you weigh the pros and cons associated with the costs and benefits of getting home care services.
