The Best Home Care Provider: Who You Can Trust
As people age, their siblings’ main concern is providing them with assistance at home in their golden years. Better safe than sorry. The bottom line is that you are entrusting your loved one to a complete stranger. Therefore, it would be worth the money spent on background checks on the applicant.
1. What is home care?
Home care refers to services that are not medically related. It helps people, mostly seniors, to lead a healthy lifestyle every day. Home care service became popular mainly due to the fact that the elderly do not need to go to a hospice or home for care. They can stay at home where they feel comfortable and receive services there. As people age, household chores like cleaning the house, grocery shopping, cooking dishes, opening or carrying something heavy become more difficult. Additionally, personal grooming such as bathing, dressing, and even getting out of bed or up the stairs can be difficult. Now, because of those home care service providers, there are people who are trained and supervised by agencies to provide those kinds of services. As a general rule, people who provide home care should be ready to do their duty 24 hours a day. Depending on the arrangements, home care providers may work shifts, hourly, live at home, or may be called in as needed.
2. Types of home care:
Housewife
This service includes meal preparation, minor house cleaning, laundry, shopping for groceries and household necessities, and other household chores.
Personal care
Service totally focused on the daily activities of a client such as bathing, dressing, going to the bathroom, eating and grooming.
Fellowship
This means that the home care provider is simply someone to talk to when necessary. For example, the elderly are often left at home when everyone is at work or school. A home care provider is hired as a conversation partner. Depending on the arrangements, the service can be by phone, a daily visit, or a stay-at-home companion.
Home health care service
This service is performed by professionals who can provide help such as nursing, psychiatric care, social work, home health aides, respiratory therapy, speech development, or occupational or physical therapy.
respite care
A trained home care or professional volunteer lives with the elder or client. This is a comprehensive care service. Any help the client needs will be provided by the home care provider.
3. Selection tips:
money matters
If money is an issue, agencies that provide in-home services are much more expensive compared to individual providers. However, the advantage of an agency is that they are professionally educated and trained for the job. Individuals do not provide this guarantee unless they provide related proof of their professional training as a home care provider.
Easy to treat
Agency-based home care providers have a much more systematic manner and processes in dealing with clients. Payment is processed professionally and in case the provider is sick, an agency can give a replacement. Also, if there is a problem with the service provider, there is an agency where you can file a complaint; whereas for individual home care providers, you have no other person to report to if he or she fails. In case you decide to choose an individual provider, here are some things you can do to make sure your loved one is safe and receives good service.
– Meet the person
– Carry out a thorough interview.
– Have clear expectations.
– Clearly explain what you expect
– Discuss wages immediately
– Ask for personal information
