Home care generally refers to medical care or support provided in the patient’s home, but this term is generally applied to non-medical care or custodian care provided by persons that are not licensed medical personnel. Family and friends, that are referred to as caregivers, primary caregiver or voluntary caregiver in this context, can also provide home care. Mostly, however, services are given by agencies or independent providers.
Seniors comprise nearly all the recipients of home care. Of these, studies reveal that more women than men need in home senior care. There are other individuals who’d typically utilize this service home care services in Florida, such as for example individuals with disabilities or special needs and people dealing with major surgeries.
This type of care makes it possible to remain at home and in the environment they’re most comfortable with instead of using long-term institution-based nursing care. It allows them to be near loved ones and gives them a feeling of living a “normal” life as opposed to long haul stays in a hospice or nursing home. There’s also a number of possibilities for home care services, depending on the type and frequency of assistance needed.
Care can include professional medical care services or life assistance services or a combination of both. The first one refers to services such as for example physical therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, psychological assessment, medication teaching, pain management, wound care and disease education and management. But more regularly, home care involves assistance with activities of daily living.
Activities of daily living include those that reflect the patient’s capacity to look after himself, such as for example eating, walking, bathing, dressing and using the toilet. It also covers daily tasks such as for example light housework, preparing meals, taking medication, shopping, using the telephone and managing money. For the latter, home care providers are there to educate and advise, with the individual making his own decision on financial matters and signing his own checks and financial or legal documents.
Home care services are usually available 24 hours each day, 7 days a week. However, options include having providers on a shift, part-time, hourly, live-in or an as-needed basis. Providers might also work by themselves or as a team.
With the exception of live-in care, home care is less costly than most board and care homes, skilled nursing homes and assisted living facilities. However, there are numerous factors to be viewed pertaining to cost when choosing home care. These include location and level of skill of service which is needed. Homemakers, personal care assistants and companions will all cost less than home health aides or skilled nursing care, and caregivers hired though an agency cost more than direct hires.
Billing could be on an hourly, daily or weekly basis with payment from the patient and his / her members of the family or through a number of public and privates sources. Professional medical care services usually are ordered by a health care provider and may be covered with insurance. Some community organizations, such as the local cancer society or Alzheimer’s association, may also provide funding to simply help purchase home care services.