Home health care can help your loved one stay in their home, instead of being forced into a skilled nursing facility. The process of bringing in a caregiver does require some research and a basic understanding of what you need as well as what is available. The following guide can help you better prepare for your search for the perfect care provider.
What type of help is needed?
Caregivers fall into different categories, and it's important that you hire the one that can perform all the necessary services. Examples of caregiver types are as follows:
Care aides – These are the most basic type of aide. They do not perform any type of medical care the requires certification. They usually help with household chores, shopping, cooking, and some personal care – such as help with bathing or getting dressed. They cannot give medications or change wound dressings.
Health aides – A health aide is usually certified to provide some minor health care along with the personal and household care listed above. They can typically administer medications, monitor vitals, and change wound dressings. Some may have additional certifications that allow them to help with physical or occupational therapy exercises or to monitor specific types of medical equipment. Some health aides are nurses, which allows them to provide even more health care help within the home.
Do you need 24 hour care?
If 24 hour care is needed, then you will need to contract with a service instead of hiring an individual caregiver. They will be able to ensure that someone is always on duty.
These services typically work by assigning two or three caregivers to your loved one. This way it is the same caregivers providing service so that your loved one can get to know and become comfortable with them.
If 24 hour service isn't necessary, you must decide what days and for what hours service will be required. Does your loved one mainly need help getting out of bed in the morning and performing daytime tasks, or do they need someone to come in a couple of times a day to prepare a meal? Answering these questions first can help you settle on the service that is best able to meet your needs.
What is a care plan?
The care plan details exactly what you expect from the home caregiver. This includes tasks that are completed at each visit, as well as extra responsibilities such as shopping or taking your loved one to appointments.
The plan will also dictate how your caregiver will communicate with you and how often they should check in. A communication notebook, where the caregiver makes detailed notes on each visit, is a helpful check-in tool.
Understanding how all of this will work with the specific caregiver will help you develop a strong in home care supervision plan, so it's important to understand these expectations before bringing in a new caregiver.
For more help, contact an in home caregiver service in your area, such as In Your Home Care.
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