We get this call every day (so you are not alone!) Your parent is in the hospital or skilled rehabilitation facility and is going home. The care team told you “Your parent needs in-home care” and you are given a list of companies.
Where do you start?
Skilled Home Health (or a Home Healthcare Agency) and In-Home Care have unique differences. Depending on how much daily care your parent needs, you may need both.
Skilled Home Health (or a Home Health Agency) is:
– Care provided by Nurses, Physical/Occupational/Respiratory/Speech Therapist
– Must be prescribed by a doctor, NP, or PA
– Only comes in for 1 hour, 2-3x a week for each need
– Is paid for by Medicare
– Has a finite engagement
Skilled Home Health is great at improving patient’s conditions. Just note, Skilled Home Health only comes in for an hour for each need and leaves. What happens the other 23 hours of the day? Meals? Bathroom? Dressing? Bathing? Further, since Medicare pays, the patient must be accepting and attempting all therapies AND improving toward the clinical goals. Once a patient either denies therapy OR plateaus, they will be discharged.
In-Home Care is:
– Caregivers and CNAs aiding with any level of personal care (bathing, incontinence, dressing, etc), household assistance (light housekeeping, laundry), meals, med reminders, exercise support (where prescribed), and transportation
– Ordered by the family or patient (no prescription needed)
– Flexible scheduling from a few times a week to daily, short 2-3 hour visit, overnights and 24-hour care
– Paid for by long-term care insurance or privately (Veterans may qualify as well)
– Can continue as long as needed
In-home health care helps seniors with the day-to-day activities that help them safely stay where they want to stay–in their homes.
At Benefits of Home Senior Care, our compassionate and experienced caregivers help over 100 seniors every week safely stay in the in homes. Send us a message, get a free estimate or call us at 913-422-1591.