Are you familiar with this scenario? Your mom has experienced a small stroke. She has been in the hospital and is finally able to return home but she needs speech therapy, physical therapy, and help getting around the house. She shouldn’t be home alone for the next few weeks. 

Or maybe it’s becoming harder and harder for your dad to take care of the lawn or do chores around the house. It takes him a lot of effort to prepare meals and do laundry. He even bathes less often to avoid accidents in the shower.

Thousands of American families face these scenarios daily. If you are not one of the nearly 40% of Americans who are involved with elder care in some fashion right now, chances are you will be in the future. You should prepare by understanding your eldercare options.

Nursing homes or senior living facilities may not be an option for you, or your loved one may not feel comfortable there. In fact, many older adults prefer to live in their own homes and home care can be a life-saving resource for you and your family. 

What Kinds Of Services Are Available To Me?

Home care is a fast-growing field with many specialized services. Professionals can assist on many different levels and the services can be tailored to your needs. Here are a few types of home healthcare professionals:

• Personal care attendants and home health aides. They provide custodial and personal care, and can assist with daily living activities like getting dressed, bathing, assisting in the bathroom, and getting in and out of a bed or a chair. They can provide medication reminders, prepare meals, do light chores around the house, and run errands.
• Certified Home Health Aides and Certified Nursing Aides (HHAs, CNAs or NACs). These folks have received more specialized training, and while they can provide personal care, they are also trained to perform simple medical procedures such as taking temperatures and dressing wounds. Training requirements vary from state to state, though, and in some areas CNAs can administer medications with nurse oversight.
• Registered Nurses (RNs) and Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs). These highly-train people can monitor the patient’s condition and conduct medical assessments to determine what care is needed. They provide more skilled medical care than a home health aid, such as dressing wounds, inserting catheters and IV lines, and giving injections.

In addition, there are other types home healthcare services you should be aware of:

• Rehabilitation services aim to provide the patient with services and skills to improve quality of life, gain independence, feel safer, and to restore the patient’s highest level of function. 
• Durable medical equipment companies provide supplies and equipment to outfit the home to care for a patient over an extended period of time, such as hospital beds, oxygen delivery systems, wheelchairs, walkers, wound care dressings, and incontinence aids. They can also provide products to ensure home safety such as shower heads, shower chairs, and grab bars. 

How To to Find the Right Home Care Services for Your Needs

First, you must assess the patient’s needs. What tasks does the person need help with around the house? Talk with your loved one’s health care provider to understand the person’s medical needs. 

Next, explore your local home care providers. Be sure to use a reputable agency. It’s the safest choice for your loved one’s well-being and you’ll feel better knowing they are in good hands. 

It might be tempting to hire a helper from a classified ad, nurse registry, or through a friendly recommendation. Going this route makes you an employer, and this may come with risks and responsibilities you may not be aware of. Consider these factors: 

• You would need to check certificates, licenses, references and perform a criminal background check to protect your loved one against elder abuse and to protect yourself from financial exploitation.
• You would have to determine whether the care provider is adequately trained or certified to perform the necessary tasks. 
• You would have to manage the complicated tasks of withholding and reporting income taxes and paying Social Security taxes. Doing this improperly could result in you having to pay back taxes and penalties.
• You would have to manage the care giver’s schedule. Employees need personal time to recharge and manage their own needs and interests. You would have to plan to cover their job duties when they have time off. 
• If the caregiver were injured while on the job, he/she could file a worker’s compensation claim or even file a lawsuit against you. You could end up paying the medical bills or worse. 
• If it ends up not being a good fit, you would be responsible for managing disciplinary actions or even termination.

Using A Home Care Agency

Finding, hiring, training, and managing employees on your own has a number of disadvantages, but going through an agency eliminates these problems. Caregivers at agencies are experienced, pre-screened, and trained under the agency supervision; all payroll and taxes are taken care of for you; and, possibly the best perk, if the caregiver is sick or does not arrive, the agency will provide immediate backup. 

Your loved one can live safely and comfortably at home with the help of qualified, reputable home care aides. Call Assisting Hands Home Care in West Austin today at (512) 999-7379 to learn more about how we can meet your family’s needs.

Source: Assisting Hands Home Care in association with IlluminAge. Copyright © IlluminAge, 2013