{"id":12245,"date":"2016-07-04T16:27:10","date_gmt":"2016-07-04T16:27:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/assistinghands.com\/3\/independent-living-seniors-choosing-home-care-provider\/"},"modified":"2021-02-25T22:23:44","modified_gmt":"2021-02-25T22:23:44","slug":"independent-living-seniors-choosing-home-care-provider","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/assistinghands.com\/3\/independent-living-seniors-choosing-home-care-provider\/","title":{"rendered":"Independent Living for Seniors: Choosing an In-Home Care Provider"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"home-care-agency\"If you have a loved one who wants to continue living at home but needs help with basic daily activities, in-home care might be right for them.<\/p>\n

In-home care services allow seniors to continue living an independent life without having to move to an assisted living facility or nursing home. A caregiver comes to their home daily or a few days a week to take care of everyday household duties, from doing laundry and cooking meals, to helping them with bathing, dressing, toileting, and monitoring their prescriptions. Here are some aspects to consider when choosing an in-home care provider:<\/p>\n

Types of In-home Care Providers<\/h3>\n

The first thing you should be aware of is exactly what type of caregiver you may need for your loved one. In Florida there are three basic types of assistants, including a homemaker\/companion, a home health aide, and a medical professional.<\/p>\n

The homemaker\/companion is typically only for chores around the house and errands. For example, your grandmother may not have immediate health concerns, but is unable to drive to appointments, go grocery shopping, clean her home, do the laundry, or prepare her meals. A homemaker\/companion would help with these and allow her to be able to continue living at home.<\/p>\n

If your loved also needs some assistance with personal care, in addition to help with the house chores, a home health aide would allow them to stay at home. Home health aides will have additional training and experience. These aides assist the client with personal care, such as bathing, dressing etc, in addition to performing other tasks such as checking your loved one\u2019s temperature.<\/p>\n

The third type of in-home care aide is a medical professional. This is needed for seniors who want to live at home but need medical supervision. This person is usually needed on a more short-term basis, such as after a major surgery or after being released from the hospital. It may be a nurse, occupational therapist, speech therapist and\/or physical therapist. They provide services that a home health aide is not allowed to handle.<\/p>\n

The good thing about working with a home healthcare agency versus hiring independent caregivers is that the agencies have all these three types of providers on staff, and they are bonded and insured. Whether you need a homemaker\/companion, a home heat aide, or a skilled nurse or therapist, the agency can help fulfill your special needs quickly and safely.<\/p>\n

Questions to Ask a Potential In-Home Care Agency<\/h3>\n

When you start looking up for the right agency, you should ask them a series of questions. This is done during a simple interview process. Some questions that will tell you a lot about the agency and their aides are:<\/p>\n