In Home Care: What To Look For
Children of elderly parents or designated caretakers of elderly family members need to carefully assess options when elderly help is needed in the care of a loved one.
Determining the needs of an elderly parent or parents as well as the type of care available to meet a variety of circumstances and needs will help caregivers make wise, educated decisions regarding that care.
Various forms of care are available for elderly help, including in home care, independent living, assisted living and nursing home or long-term facility care.
Home Health Care offers a variety of aid to children of aging parents as well as caregivers in the form of nurses, aides, therapists, and even a respite care. Home health care is generally classified under two specific categories: custodial care and skilled care. Skilled care is defined by Medicare as such care that requires supervision by nurses or professional health care experts including physical, speech and occupational therapists. Skilled care requires moderate to intensive medical care or supervision generally not performed by non- medical personnel.
Custodial care is non-medical care that an elderly person may need in the home, such as help with shopping, bathing, dressing and cooking.
A variety of questions need to be asked regarding in home care, including:
At home care may be offered by trained and certified home health aides, nurses, and professionally trained and certified therapists and respite care services. Nurse's aides provide custodial care such as help with bathing and dressing and may be certified to provide a minimum of medical care, such as changing bandages, cleaning or switching out catheters, and ensuring that medications are taken. The cost of Home Health aides are generally covered by Medicare.
Nurses provide medical care supervision offered in a home environment, but their services are not typically covered by Medicare, although they may be covered by Medicaid under certain circumstances. Caregivers are encouraged to contact Medicaid or Medicare Services for a determination of exactly which services are covered and which aren't, depending on independent scenarios.
Services provided by other health care providers such as occupational, physical or speech therapists are very rarely covered by Medicare Services, though may be covered by Medicaid under certain circumstances, much like nursing supervision. Determine whether a not Medicare or Medicaid will cover such services, as the average cost of nursing and therapy care may range from $20.00 to $90.00 an hour.
Medicare and Medicaid Services may be accessed at the link below:
When hiring in home care Services for elderly help, caregivers should ask some basic questions that include but are not limited to:
When it comes time to choose a specific in home care agency to help ease the burden of elderly care for children or other family members, take the time to carefully research the agency and determine that certification and accreditation is current,
that they have no complaints filed with the Better Business Bureau and don't hesitate to engage in background or crime checks regarding the company or its employees.
Take the time to monitor the care provided to your parent and discuss issues or concerns as they arise. Communication is essential, between caregiver and parent as well as between service providers to ensure continuity and quality of care.
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Dec 28, 20 12:23 PM
My mother is 93, in good health, no major heath issues, totally ambulatory. When my father died 6 years ago we found her a beautiful independent senior
Dec 28, 20 12:21 PM
So I lost my mom 18 months ago. After her passing I would come to my parents house to clean and cook a couple of times a week for my dad. He still gets
Dec 28, 20 12:18 PM
I came back home in 2004 to help my dad as he had cancer, he eventually passed away few years later. Well here I am am in 2020 still at home taking care