Home care assists with personal care, household chores, cooking, shopping, money management, medications, and more! Personal care is considered a task related to hygiene. This could be assistance getting into the shower, help with washing the hair or body, setting temperatures, or other tasks. With household chores, home help staff will often help with laundry or cleaning around the home. They can also do shopping if the person needs assistance getting groceries or appointments.

Home care can also cook meals or do meal prep. If you have staff in the home for only a few hours a day but cannot stand for long periods of time, a staff member can make meals ahead of time for you to reheat. They can also help with budgeting or reminding you to take your medications. Often, home care staff cannot do more extensive tasks like administering medications without certain certifications or credentials, like a nursing license.

Home care services are often beneficial for those who need extensive help around the home and have difficulties living independently. This does not mean you need to live alone. Oftentimes, family members work or have families, so there may be gaps in time where they cannot help with regular tasks. Other families may live out of state and not be able to help at all, which is where home care steps in.

Many people who have had recent, or frequent hospitalizations, find that home care is an effective way to help them recuperate and maintain their daily living. Home care can be long-term or short-term. For example, if you recently had surgery or have an open wound that needs regular monitoring, home care can be a great way to ensure this takes place daily. They can also help with household tasks until you are fully healed.

Yes! Depending on your needs, you may need a variety of services. Usually, home health care is related to a caregiver or nurse coming to the home consistently to help with household tasks, hygiene, shopping, or other duties. This is not an exclusive service, as many other options fit different individual needs.

One such service is companion care. A caregiver or staff member can travel with you, provide transportation, and socialize. The goal of companion care is to decrease the loneliness that can often come with illness, especially if no family is available. Other options for home care services include:

• Live-in care.
• End-of-life care
• Specialty care
• Skilled care
• Care for those diagnosed with Alzheimer's or Dementia

Senior Shield home care can also assist with hospital-to-home care, focusing on a safe and educated transition from a hospital discharge

A CNA stands for Certified Nursing Assistants. They must complete courses and training to obtain this certification, including up to 100 classroom hours and passing a certification test. Each state may differ in its requirements, but generally, they are educated on clinical guidelines and have more formal training. A CNA can provide home health services in the home and is typically aware of what to look out for with certain conditions or diagnoses. They are not as fully trained as nurses and cannot perform detailed clinical tasks.

A CNA can do both non-medical tasks and some light medical tasks. Some examples include taking vitals like blood pressure, taking weight and height measurements, and helping with medical equipment. They can also administer pre-packaged medications but are not pharmacists and must undergo medication training. They cannot perform invasive procedures such as rectal temperatures, tubing fluids, or dressings.

A caregiver has different training than a CNA. They often help with day-to-day activities that do not require clinical guidance, such as shopping, housekeeping, laundry, dishes, taking people to appointments, meal preparation, and budgeting if needed. Caregivers can also provide companionship care, meaning they are there to help with socialization and chat.

A Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) is someone with a state certification that has trained for at least 75 hours and up to 100 hours. They must take a state exam to receive their certification. They can perform the same tasks as a caregiver but can also take vitals such as blood pressure, weight, and height. They are more trained in clinical education. However, caregivers provide valuable services. A caregiver not providing medical services needs no state licensure but often undergoes a rigorous training on advocating for clients, recognizing abuse, and diversity.

When you need caregiver services, you can decide who provides your services. Typically the home care company will have staff available that you can interview. If they begin services and you are not pleased with them, you can contact the company and ask for a different staff member. You have full control over who provides your care.

In many cases, you can have a friend or family member be a caregiver. This will differ from state to state, and spouses are usually excluded from this. If you have someone in mind, they would need to contact the home care company to begin the appropriate training and onboarding. They are not treated any differently from a typical staff member and would need to complete all documentation and training before they can begin receiving payments. For many, this provides some relief as they are already familiar with who will be handling their day-to-day affairs.

Services will vary based on your or your loved ones' needs. For instance, if multiple services are required, there may be additional costs. With Senior Shield Home Care, we offer a consultation to discuss what options are available and how we can help increase independence in the home. At this time, we will discuss services and pricing. We aim to consistently work with families and individuals for a price point that works for them while still providing high-quality health services.

Typically, caregivers get an hourly rate determined by the agency and state guidelines. The type of care they receive, plus any additional services like nursing, will influence the total cost. Paying for a home health care agency is more affordable than long-term care settings, such as a nursing home, and can help you or your loved one save money while remaining as comfortable as possible.

Senior Shield home care is a private-pay service, meaning we do not use insurance or Medicare. This can help keep costs down for many people and allows for more direct care rather than the complicated hoops of establishing coverage limits. Medicare does not cover homemaker services or full-time health care.

There are many ways to pay for home care. Our services can be reimbursed via long-term care insurance, which will help cover daily care, such as bathing, dressing, or eating. Some families pay entirely out of pocket or look at available state programs to help with care. Veterans may be eligible for assistance through the Veteran-Directed Care program, and many states also offer support through Home and Community-Based waivers. To get more information on options for payment, schedule a consultation with us to get a quote and discuss how we can help.

Home care is often more comfortable for individuals. While nursing homes can provide extensive care, they offer less privacy. In-home care allows the individual to stay where they have created their life and obtain personalized care in their own space, with private one-to-one interactions. Nursing homes have a variety of staff available on-site. However, they are tending to several different individuals at once.

Home care is also much more affordable than nursing home care. When a side-by-side comparison is made, nursing care can cost more than double in-home care, ranging up to $7,600. Someone in a nursing home often has to share a smaller space with one to four other residents, making it seem less personal or private. Additionally, the chaos of such an environment can be stressful. If you or your loved one is seeking home care, contact Senior Shield Home Care to get started today!