Help with Home Care
www.FamilyCareAmerica.com
Most people want to remain in their own homes as long as possible,
but age, infirmity, or illness can make this a difficult task. Home
care workers can provide an important intermediate step between total
independence and the need to move into a care facility. If you have
a family member who lives at home but needs help with a few daily activities,
there are a variety of agencies and workers that can provide different
levels of service.
· Home health nurses, therapists, or aides provide in-home
medical care including medication assistance, exercises, wound care,
and monitoring of conditions.
· A housekeeper or chore worker performs basic household tasks
and light cleaning.
· A homemaker or personal care worker provides personal care,
assistance with medication, meal planning, and household management.
· A companion or live-in provides personal care, light housework,
exercise, companionship, and medication reminders. These aides usually
work for lower salaries in exchange for room and board.
· A geriatric care manager is the ideal solution for any and
all needs, especially in long-distance caregiving situations. A care
manager not only provides continuous assessment but also arranges and
monitors services provided.
Home Health Agencies
While it's possible to hire home care workers on your own-ads in the
newspaper are one common method-home health agencies can greatly reduce
your time and effort. Not only do they have a ready supply of workers
to suit most situations, they maintain a level of professionalism by
ensuring employee certifications and licenses are current. Also, they're
obligated to provide solutions to any problems that may arise.
When deciding on a home health agency, the United States Administration
on Aging recommends asking the following questions:
· What type of employee screening is done?
· Who is responsible for paying the worker?
· Who supervises the worker?
· What types of general and specialized training have workers
received?
· Who do you call if the worker doesn't show up?
· What are the fees and what do they cover?
· Is there a sliding fee scale?
· What are the minimum and maximum hours of service?
· Are there limitations in terms of tasks performed or times
of day when services are furnished?
· Are there extra fees for care provided during weekends and
holidays?
Above all, make sure that everyone is comfortable with the person
you hire. Since the home care worker will be involved in many aspects
of day-to-day life, an atmosphere of respect and trust is important
if the relationship is going to succeed.
Copyright 2001, FamilyCare America, Inc. All Rights Reserved. For more
caregiving information, please visit www.FamilyCareAmerica.com
on the Internet.
