 | Becky Cook is Director of Private Pay Services for Faith In-Home Services, LLC. Faith provides care for patients throughout all stages of life, wherever they consider their home. Becky graduated from Hillsborough County School of Practical Nursing, Tampa, Florida. She has worked in a variety of settings including Physician Offices, Assisted Livings and Home Health & Hospice. You can contact her office at 316-260-9400. |
Senior Living
2006-12-01 09:21:00
In-home services can help
Will having in-home services help keep me at home?
ANSWER: Yes, having in-home services can help keep seniors or individuals with special needs at home but there are several important things you need to know. In-home care can mean many things. Services such as in-home nursing and therapy tend to address medical needs that individuals have after returning home from a hospital or recovering from an illness. Other in-home services are often referred to as private duty or attended care. These services can address a wide variety of special needs including personal care needs. Often, this kind of personal care in the home can help make the difference in maintaining a safe environment for individuals in need and help keep them where they call home. It also offers caregivers a much needed break from on-going care that can be so exhausting.
Private duty services are available at multiple levels of care. Most companies provide care to individuals in their home, but can also provide one-on-one supervision in other settings such as hospitals and care facilities when a patient is confused or cannot be left alone. These services come at a cost, but when considering your needs please remember cost is not the only factor to consider. These services offer the security of knowing those in need won’t be alone when extra care is required.
Two of the most common levels of private duty care are home health aides and companions. Companions are non-medical attendants providing services such as housekeeping, laundry, and meal preparation as well as transportation or running errands such as grocery shopping. Companions offer social stimulation and the opportunity to remain active with some assistance with the more difficult tasks of daily living.
Home Health Aides (HHA) are certified individuals who complete training as a certified nurse aide with additional schooling to work with individuals/couples in their home. This level of care provides assistance with a wider variety of special needs, including all the tasks mentioned above, as well as; bathing, dressing, toileting, eating and transfers (assistance with getting out of bed or a chair). The HHAs can also assist with home exercise programs that a physical/occupational or speech therapist has instructed them to do.
For higher levels of care such as ventilator care or frequent medications that are not taken by mouth, private nursing staff are an option. They offer comprehensive private duty care including companions, aides, private duty nursing and therapy. It is possible that you may qualify for home health or hospice services which would provide you with intermittent visits from a nurse or therapist under your medical insurance. Make sure to ask your insurance company what is available to you and how frequently.
There are several companies that provide private duty care in the Wichita and surrounding areas. Make sure to shop around and ask the questions important to you. One important question to ask is whether or not a company completes background checks on staff. You want to be assured the caregiver being sent to your home has been trained and is licensed or certified to provide the level of care that meets your needs. Check to see if they do a free on-site evaluation for clients and family to help answer important questions, determine level of care and make a plan that meets the family budget. Have faith in your choice.
