7 Things You Should Know About Home Care
Home care can mean different things to different people depending on their restrictions and their individual requirements. There are many different ways that home care can be provided, and so choosing a home care provider or the right caregiver can be a confusing and stressful task.
We want to make your decision on home care as easy as possible, so we’ve put together 7 things that you should know about home care to help you.
This article with include:
- What is home care?
- What is the purpose of home care?
- The different types of home care
- How to get home care
- The difference between a caregiver and a home health care aide
What is Home Care?
First and foremost, home care is when a trained health care aide pays regular visits to your home to help with any and every aspect of your life for a short or long term.
Home care can be provided by an individual, a member of the community, or a professional company that assigns the best caregiver to meet your needs.
What Is The Purpose Of Home Care?
The purpose of home care varies depending on the age, abilities, and personal needs of the individual.
But overall, home care is about building trust and creating strong bonds and a mutual understanding with your caregiver so that they can meet your needs and you can work together to stay as independent as possible and live your life to the fullest while living at home.
The Different Types Of Home Care
There are a lot of different types of home care, and you may require more than one to meet all of your needs. This is where trained professionals and home care companies become a huge help when assigning your perfect health care aide.
The types of home care include:
- Doctor Care
A doctor will visit you at home to assess and diagnose your illness
- Nursing Care
A nurse can help with wound dressing, ostomy care, intravenous therapy, administering medication, monitoring your general health, pain control, and other health support that you may require from home
- Physical, occupational or speech therapy
A physical therapist can be provided if you require rehabilitation and help relearning activities of daily living after suffering from a serious illness or injury
- Medical social services
A social worker can provide counseling and help with finding community resources that can benefit you and your needs
- Home health aides
Home health aides can help with basic personal care and daily tasks like getting out of bed, bathing, and dressing. They can also have special training that allows them to provide more specialized care with supervision from a nurse
- Homemaker
A homemaker can help to maintain your household by performing chores and other household tasks such as grocery shopping, cleaning, laundry, gardening, and meal preparation
- Companionship
A companion will provide emotional support and supervision when needed as well as performing some household duties that you cannot complete on your own
- Nutritional Support
A dietician can visit you at home to help you understand and assess your dietary requirements
- Transportation
Companies or community members can provide essential transportation to and from medical appointments and social events
- Home-delivered meals
Regular scheduled hot meals can be provided every week right to your front door if you struggle to cook for yourself
Discussing with your loved ones and health care provider, and deciding on exactly which home care you would be most interested in is a good thing to do before seeking a home caregiver. If you are unsure or confused about what home care you need, talking to a home care provider can give you some clarity and help to assess your home care needs.
How To Get Home Care
With so many home care options and types of care available, it can be confusing and somewhat intimidating to try to find the right home care for yourself or your loved one. Assessing your needs and thinking about what extra help you may need to help you live your life can be a good start.
Reaching out to a care company that provides home care services is also a good idea. They will be able to help you to come to a decision about the type of home care that works best for you.
It’s worth asking a few questions to the company to make sure that they can provide you with the care that is right for you. Questions like:
- Will you make sure that my caregiver matches my needs and can you offer a replacement caregiver if not?
- Will my caregiver have a supervised nurse?
- Will you consult with my doctor and family members regularly to stay updated about my needs?
- Do you provide a personalized care plan for my specific needs?
- Will you provide all of the financial arrangements in writing?
You want to make sure that you are getting the best care for you, and that the company providing it will stay up-to-date with any changes in your needs. Care plans must be personalized for them to benefit you, and a company should always say yes to this question.
The Different Between A Caregiver and A Home Health Care Aide
A big point of confusion for some is exactly what the difference is between a home health care aide and a caregiver. While all home carers are caregivers to an extent, a home health care aide must be certified and has to have had clinical training in order to have their job and provide the support that they offer.
A caregiver, on the other hand, is usually a family member or a member of your community that offers to work in shifts and visit you at home to look after you and help with your needs. Caregivers are not typically trained and do not always have the expertise to provide the best health care.
A caregiver often provides personal care, as they are a trusted loved one, while home health care aides can provide specialized medical care.