Understanding In-Home Care

Saturday, 3 January 2015

By Agatha Lebouef


We spend many decades of our lives enjoying the independence that comes along with adulthood. Sadly though, as our body ages, our ability to care for ourselves often diminishes and we begin needing assistance to accomplish many daily tasks. When it gets to the point where it can be a struggle to deal with some of the chores of daily life, it might be time to consider some type of in-home help or care.

First of all, it is important to note that some types of care are covered by medical insurance and some are not. Generally, if you need the services of a nurse or some type of licensed therapist, then these in-home health workers might be covered or partially covered by your insurance plan. There are many ailments that might require the services of a licensed health care work. For instance, perhaps you have terminal cancer or another type of terminal disease and wish to live out your final days, weeks or months in the comfort of your home. A health care worker can handle the medical-related tasks that your family, spouse or friends are not trained to accomplish. Sometimes physical or occupational therapy is what you need, and professionals might be able to do these therapies in your home.

However, sometimes your health is fairly good and the medical needs you have are solely related to making sure that you take your medicines on schedule. If you need help with daily tasks such as dressing, bathing and grooming, as well as eating proper meals and taking medicines, non-medical in-home care can be required. You also probably would benefit from having someone come in and clean your house and do your laundry. This might all be combined into one service or one caregiver, but it also might be two separate services.

In-home services can be attractive for several reasons. First, it often costs less to hire a caregiver to come in and help as opposed to moving into a nursing home or assisted living scenario. Hiring someone to help also reduces the burden of care from your spouse, your children and friends, who might be worried about you and are unable to provide constant help because of their own health or family and work obligations. They probably want to help but simply cannot provide a consistently high level of care. In addition, in-home care allows you to stay at home, which is probably your top goal.

It's difficult to find a caregiver on your own which is why it might be wise to look for an eldercare placement firm that specializes in finding the right match for your needs. These services take your needs and budget limits into consideration and produce a list of qualified, pre-screened caregivers in your immediate area. CarePlacement.com is one such service, and they can find a variety of options for your consideration.

There are certainly other options that you might be thinking about. If you have a good-sized budget, an assisted living apartment community can be a great option. These facilities offer tons of amenities and social activities as well as help with all of your daily needs. Board and care homes generally are less expensive and provide a more homelike ambiance than assisted living and more social interaction than you might have by staying at home. A nursing home also can be a more budget-friendly option, and these days nursing homes try very hard to provide a good mix of social functions and amenities. It is important to note that board and care homes and assisted living do not take insurance, while a nursing home generally does take several types of insurance, particularly if you have some medical needs.




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