What are Home Health Care Service?

As people undergo the aging process, their usual working ability starts to decline. Their health and stamina face drawbacks and the normal functioning of life is greatly hampered. At that point, one should consider home health care service and get a break from daily tiring activities. Maybe some assistance can do that. That assistance at home is typically termed in home care or home health care service.

Home health care service is ideal for seniors who like their time being independent and don’t want to leave their own homes. Usually, some emotional attributes about the place are there where one spends his whole life. Leaving in such cases is a hard thing to do and home health care service works best to meet such individual’s needs.

Home health care services are typically for those seniors who need assistance or have some sort of illness. It turns out to be the best for all such seniors who have an emotional attachment to their homes and can’t leave their independent lifestyles.

There are health care providers to assist seniors with chronic illness, or in the recovery period from major surgeries, or those who suffer from some disabilities. Professional caregivers are there for long term or short term assistance, it all depends on the needs of seniors.

When does your loved one need Home Health Care Services?

There comes a certain time in everyone’s lives when self-care becomes hard. Usually in the 50s or near the age of 65, doing everything on your own is a big challenge. At that age, diseases start to swarm up around you and not everyone is lucky enough to fight back those illnesses.

When your loved one is in that particular age frame too, a home health aide is the best option for family members to choose. If you are observing the following signs in your loved one’s behavior then it is time that you should seek a home health aide,

• Not being able to drive properly
• Difficulty in preparing simple meals
• Skipping baths
• Falling every now and then or facing difficulty in walking
• Skipping meals

Many a time, you may get to hear things like, “I don’t need help, I am okay”. In that case, you still need to ensure their safety by seeking help. Communicate your concerns and decide the best suitable option for them.

Responsibilities of Health Care Providers

Home health providers are actually health care paraprofessionals. There are certain training set by the state and a health care provider undergoes all of them before practicing as a professional one. In addition, they must assist seniors in their daily light housekeeping chores. Also some of the things that are hard for older adults to do on their own, like grocery shopping, driving, doing laundry, and all such stuff.

Some of the following things are also a part of senior care,

• Assistance in activities of daily life like helping the recipient in moving from one place to another, dressing, eating, toileting and more depending upon what the senior needs.
• Being able to handle the situation in case of heart attack or any other serious medical condition
• Monitoring senior’s daily activities, their diet, daily exercise, and all other actions
• Checking pulse, blood pressure, and respiration of the recipient.

Health care providers do not provide seniors with professional medical assistance or nursing care. However, checking up on them and notifying some registered professionals about their daily progress may include their job.

Not every caregiver is a suitable fit for you. Compassion, honesty, patience, and medical knowledge, all these traits must be there in order to ensure the safety of your loved one.

Hiring Home Health Services or Other Health Providers

Hiring a home health aide is easy. You can hire directly or there are agencies working daily to provide people with the best home care services. Well hiring through an agency is more convenient because all you have to do is to pay the agency.

In certain circumstances like the home health aide doesn’t come on time or you are not satisfied by its work. A home health care agency can find you a quick replacement. However, paying directly is obviously less costly because there is no middleman that you will have to pay. Yet keeping a check on the aide would be all your responsibility since an agency won’t have any involvement.

Different types of Home Care Services

Home care is a very broad term and it further has subcategories based on the nature of care that recipients require. Following are the main three types,

Companionship and Personal Care

In companionship and personal care, almost all the tasks are similar. The duties may include daily household activities like grocery shopping, driving, bathing assistance, toileting, meal preparations, and other things of this sort.

However in companionship, sometimes seniors are capable enough of taking their own care. All they need is someone to be by their side, spend time with them, read to them, and play board games together.

This type of home care is also considered non-medical care because home health aides are not trained that way.

Home Health Care

Seniors usually hire home health care by a physician’s or a doctor’s recommendation. It provides professional nursing care at home for seniors who have had some major surgeries or who need daily assistance and medical care on the go.

These are visiting nurse services and these caregivers can come on an hourly basis or on whatever basis the physician has prescribed.

Other Types of Home Health Care Providers

Talking generally, health care providers who help seniors with illnesses, assist them daily, or help those with disabilities, are all called, “Home Health Aides”. Yet there are certain categories in which these professional caregivers fall. They have a difference on the basis of their type of training, their duties, and their nature of work.

Companion or a Homemaker

These will provide support to seniors. They will help them in daily life activities, run errands with them, read to them. In short, spend time with them to lessen their loneliness and help them in general.

Daily life things may include almost every other thing like going on grocery shopping, driving to the local barbershop, and many such things.

Personal Care Aide

A personal care aide usually does all the stuff that a companion does, but there’s more assistance. Bathing, toileting, and other sorts of assistance will be included in the personal care aide’s job requirements.

Plus, there is training that he has to pass in order to practice as a personal care aide. These are usually certified workers who have prior knowledge to practice it as a profession.

A Nursing Assistant

A nursing assistant will generally do all the tasks of a companion and a personal care aide. Medical care is another addition to their job, they are well trained to handle all the medical care necessaries like ostomy care and using a catheter, etc.

A nursing assistant will keep a check of the vitals of the patient, regular medication, and everything is up to him.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does a home health nurse do?

A home health nurse provides medical assistance at home. is an experienced health professional who is able to evaluate an individual’s or senior’s health. Administering vitals, dressing the wounds, dealing with all the medical equipment. It all falls under the job of a home health nurse.

A home health nurse is usually a certified nurse and good communication skills with time management are the keys to providing the best services.

What services does home health care provide?

Home health care provides services based on the needs of its recipients. Seniors with some chronic illnesses, memory impairment, and other disabilities want assistance in their daily lives. Home health care is better in so many ways because it provides assistance in the comfort of the home.

Seniors who are reluctant to leave their homes can get assistance in every daily life thing, whether it is medical assistance or non-medical. It all depends on the type of service one requires.

Is there any financial assistance for home health care?

Yes, seniors can have financial assistance for home care services. Medicaid waiver program or Medicaid provides assistance to all such seniors who are eligible to get one. However, the amount may vary from state to state and the type of services may vary as well.

Does insurance cover in-home care?

Yes, there are certain cases where insurance does cover all the expenses of in-home care. Eligible seniors can get insurance from Medicaid. Moreover, seniors can also get long-term insurance plans that bear the expenses of in-home care.

However, the typical health insurance doesn’t cover in-home care, yet there are certain long-term other insurances that you can go for.

Home health care and home care are the same thing or not?

No, home health care and home care are fairly different from each other. Home care is usually personal home care. It does not involve any medical assistance. All the tasks of daily living are covered in home care.

Whereas Home health care involves professional medical care as well. Usually, the home health care providers come after long-term training. They are certified to practice it further. With all the extra beneficial services of home health care, it is more expensive than home care as well.

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