Home Health Care Agencies

Home Health Care Agencies

If your senior loved one has medical or non-medical needs that make living independently too difficult for him, then you know you need to seek help from health care agencies. While you might think that you can solely provide care to your loved one, you’ll also realize that in the long run it could drain you. For some, their only option is to put their seniors in a nursing home or a residential facility. However, research shows that most seniors wish to stay at home as long as possible and granting their wish can help improve the quality of their life. Good thing there are home health care agencies that know you and your senior loved one’s needs.

In general, these agencies offer at least two main types of home health and home care services, and these are custodial or skilled care and supportive or unskilled care. 

Supportive services

Non-medical home care agencies provide this type of services. They provide help with personal care, which includes bathing, dressing, grooming, meal preparation, shopping, and housekeeping. Upon the request of the client or his family member, the agency may also provide assistance with ambulation and exercises, self-administered medications, and transportation to medical appointments.

Skilled services

This type of service is offered by medical home health agencies and it includes nursing care, speech, respiratory, physical, and occupational therapies, social services, and hospice care. A qualified home health aide provides personal care by following a particular care plan under the supervision of a health care professional such as a therapist or a nurse. Such services are provided for a limited time and on an irregular basis, under a treatment plan based on a physician’s order. Some of the purposes for providing these services are to quicken hospital discharges, avoid uncalled-for hospitalizations, and to make it possible for a senior to remain in his own home even during critical illnesses or while recovering.