Home care is generally non-medical assistance offers in home setting. Usually the services are hired for adults who are not in a position to perform daily activities because of one reason or another. Apart from providing family members peace of mind, the adults receiving assistance remain at the comfort of their homes compared to being in a nursing home or facility which is depressing for some. It is important to remember that home care is different from home health care. Home health care requires registered nurses and trained therapists with medical qualifications to offer assistance at home.
What home care can do for you
Certified home aide providers can do a number of things for their clients. They include:
1. Personal care where they help the clients with bathing, grooming, dressing and preparing meals
2. Companionship especially for adults who suffer from dementia or Alzheimer’s and need someone around during the day. This can include taking them for shopping, socializing and watching TV with them. Those needing companionship can usually do daily activities by themselves but may need reminding.
3. Household assistance that includes light cleaning and laundry and keeping the home in order. Usually, the chores are done together with the person receiving assistance rather than doing them for them.
Choosing the best
When looking for a home care provider, it is important to remember that you can get the services from an individual or an agency. Companies tend to be more reliable for some people, but they could be a little costly compared to individual service providers. When you have decided which path to choose, then you must remember to check the following so you have the best provider attending to your needs.
Caregiver qualification
Home caregivers may not need any medical background, but they at least should be professionally trained to offer quality services. They should have hand on skills of how to be polite and handle their clients in the best way possible. Training is very important and you should therefore ensure that you get trained caregivers to make sure your loved one is in good hands.
Caregiver schedule
Most adults are more comfortable with having one caregiver attending to their needs and a change might not work very well for them. When choosing a provider, consider whether there is an option of having a dedicated caregiver attend to your loved one or you will be forced to work with multiple rotating caregivers. Choose what works for the best interest of the person receiving care.
The services
Apart from the usual daily chores, you might be looking for other related services. Find out whether it is possible for your provider to offer such services so that you do not have to go looking elsewhere or make too many changes when you need the additional services. The more services your provider can handle, the better and convenient it can be for your current needs or needs that could arise.
