HOME HEALTH AID, WHEN IS IT TIME TO HIRE…
Are you or a family member having trouble living independently due to physical challenges or ailments? Is the physically disability expected to be for a limited duration due to an injury or post-surgery restrictions? Are you able to do shower and dress yourself but have difficulty doing your laundry, cooking meals or driving? Do you want to live at home and acknowledge that you need some help but don’t know whether you need home health care?
For many people, these questions may seem to lead you down a rabbit hole of confusion and even more questions but we can help you discover some of the basic differences between a home health aide and an assistant in order to determine which type of help is right for you now.
According to USA Today, approximately 4.7 million people received some kind of care in their homes in 2012 but “more often than not, experts say those receiving that care – be it one, two or all of the basic activities of daily living – didn’t know the first thing about hiring a home health care provider.”
The first thing you need to know is that licensed home health care aides do provide some personal care assistance and that home health care can be expensive. However, their care does not include medical assistance. For example, home health care aids may assist an individual with basic hygiene, such as showering, accessing the toilet and getting dressed. If you only need help with cooking, cleaning or errands, a companion or personal care assistant may be more suitable and less expensive.
If your family member has dementia or early signs of Alzheimer’s, ask if any of the health care providers you interview have experience working with someone with memory or behavioral issues.
Home health care vs Assisted Living Facilities
Even if the individual who needs assistance has Medicare, that individual must meet certain eligibility criteria and the care services must be considered reasonable and necessary for the treatment of the illness or injury to receive benefits. If Medicare will not cover the expense or you are not eligible for benefits, home health care can become a big drain on your assets very quickly. In fact, the cost home health care can often exceed the cost of assisted living or skilled nursing facilities.
Even if your family has the personal means to fund a home health care aide, someone will need to take the time to organize and manage the services of the professional care giver. It can be a time-consuming process to vet and oversee a home health care aide and there should also be a backup plan in case the home care worker is unavailable or needs to take some time off due to illness.
Whatever type of care is necessary, try to establish a strong support system for the individual who needs care as well as for whomever is managing the care needs.
If you need help determining what type of care is most suitable for yourself or your family member, please contact the knowledgeable staff at California Registry to help you find elder care services or an assisted living facility within California that is customized for situation.