Things to Know About In-home Care Facilities

For a plethora of seniors, spending their old years in peace and quiet is not only a wish and not even a quirk but more like an indispensable requirement. With age many of age-related conditions and aspects get unbearable to withstand or live with.

Such hurdles may be a decrease in mobility or a cognitive decline which may be a cause of an unsafe environment for the elderly. In such instances, families seek for places which can provide daily assistance for those who require care and stability. Usually, nursing facilities of in-home care services, like Nassau county home care service can look after them. 

Further in this article we will provide pivotal information about facilities and how to make the best personal choice. 

What are in-home care facilities?

Broadly speaking, in-home care is a type of care which includes a wide array of non-medical services for the elderly in order to ensure independence and comfort of the latter. In-home care is regarded as a safe place for seniors where they may find not only assistance but companionship and support as well. As a rule, many turn for help specifically to in-home care agencies because they want to age at home in a familiar place. 

When should one consider a home care service?

Countless signs and symptoms, known as so called triggers, of an individual occur suddenly or with certain preconditions. Such signals should be taken into consideration in early stages without waiting till crisis hits and health conditions exacerbate. Clients should not be overwhelmed with any burdens their conditions can supposedly bring, however, they must deal with a situation rapidly to ensure that they find professional caregivers. 

Below there is a list of possible triggers that you must be aware of:

• A loss of mobility as the aftermath of a fall;
• A hospital procedure that results in temporary or even permanent care in time of healing;
• A loss of personal items as a sign of a memory blackout or amnesia; 
• A fear of being left in complete solitude;
• A prolonged depression with consequences in social disengagement with family of friends;
• Declining taking any kind of medication.

What are options of in-home care services?

Having finally come to terms with realization that you or your loved ones require in-home care one must discover options to choose from. In current times there are a bunch of in-home care agencies which can accommodate the elderly or adults with various needs. Usually the levels of care differ from ordinary companionship to plain housekeeping or skilled medical care or even individually prescribed healthcare aid. Generally speaking, in-home care companies are divided into three big groups:

1. Companion Care

Companion care is a self-explanatory type of non-medical service which main goal is to create companionship for the elderly or adults, mostly for those who became isolated from home by virtue of cognitive impairments or other types of disease or simply because they feel isolated. Not only does companion care bring the element of comradery to clients but also helps with tasks of individual care, depending on state rules and regulations.

The main goal of such a type of aid is to support the process of socialization and strengthen emotional communication. From time to time, caregivers who provide companion care are referred to as elder companions with watchful eyes and kind hearts who are always there for clients to take them to appointments or other household chores. The list of tasks which companion caregivers provide are:

• General household chores;
• Running errands;
• Grocery shopping and meal preparation;
• Transportation to appointments.

If a person in need normally spends some time alone at home then this type of care will definitely fit the situation. Companion care can be provided to an older adult through a friend or a family member or through companion services. Companions’ task is to make regular visits in accordance with the recipient’s individual needs. 

2. Personal Care Assistance

Personal care assistance or aid (PCA) has highly-skilled staff who are trained to provide a broad range of services in their own home. PCA is an option for clients who need help with personal everyday tasks. In bare outline, personal care is known as home health aid. In addition, PCAs provide services that include various help for clients:

• Toileting and incontinence care;
• Transferring clients from bed to other locations;
• Ensuring clients receive medication on time;
• Supporting clients who cannot move on their own. 

Apart from personal care and help with mobility PCA supports clients with household chores:

• Grocery shopping and meal preparation;
• Dusting, tidying up and others;
• Doing laundry and dishes;
• Taking care of pets.

In some cases PCAs may provide companionship for clients to maintain their self-worth and dignity. 

3. Home Health Care

Home health care is another kind of care which is a combination of therapy and higher-level medical care. Unlike PCA which provides any medical care, HHC specializes in training and requires a nursing degree and advanced skills from caregivers. It must be considered that standard home care does not include any type of medical service while home health care does. 

Home Health Agencies include in their services many medical needs which are personalized:

• Maintain clinical records of all patients;
• Provide nursing and therapeutic services;
• Meets federal or state requirements in interest of health of clients;
• Physical and occupational therapies; 
• Post-surgery recovery care;
• Provides supervision for all services by a physician or a professional nurse. 

In general, the goal of home health care is to treat injuries or illnesses. As a rule, home health care is less expensive yet more convenient. In comparison with hospitals or skilled nursing facilities, HHC agencies are effective as well. 

Conclusions

Knowing information for which option of an in-home care to choose from a wide diversity for yourself or beloved relatives is always better because you can certainly find an agency for personalized demands. For instance, Galaxy Home Care in New York gives their clients guidance and support and most importantly – securing their relatives on different levels.