What Does In-Home Care mean?
Most seniors prefer to stay in their homes despite suffering from age-related conditions. While there are countless benefits to allowing them to stay in a place they love, if they have any underlying conditions, living alone may be difficult and unsafe. In-Home Care for the most part is non-medical care that's offered in the client's home. It involves general custodial care for the aged as well as assistance with normal daily activities like grooming & hygiene, nutritional eating, household tasks, mobility. Ideally, the care provides cognitive stimulation, companionship, and socialization to the client, as well. This latter portion can be overlooked in traditional care-giving. In-home care services that provide companionship and cognitive stimulation can help manage & even potentially slow memory decline.

Which Are the Main In-Home Care Service Options?
In-home care comes is highly personalized because each elderly or disabled person has widely different needs. Generally, the services can be broken down into the following options:
1. Companion Care Services. Providers in this category offer company to the aged. It is a suitable option if the elderly adult lives alone or lives in an elderly care facility with insufficient number of caregivers. They can largely take care of themselves. 
2. Personal Care Assistance. Caregivers in this category assist in all daily activities such as hygiene, transportation, bookkeeping, meal preparation, and basic home assistance.
3. Home Healthcare. Providers in this category are trained to provide necessary therapy and medical care to their clients.

 

 

How much does In-Home Care cost?

The cost of in-home help will differ depending on the type of assistance needed. Home care is typically billed by the hour, so the cost depends on the number of care hours per week, region where you live and specialized needs one may have based on their particular situation. Most families pay out-of-pocket for their care or use long-term care insurance. If you require a trained caregiver to oversee medical service, you will pay more for a registered caregiver than what you can pay when hiring a non-registered caregiver.

 

Does Medicare cover the cost of In-Home Care?

If you have Original Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance) or Part B (Medical Insurance), you may be eligible for Medicare home health benefits. To qualify, you must meet all of these requirements: be homebound, be under the active care of a doctor who has certified that you need intermittent occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech therapy, and/or skilled nursing care. And the home health agency must be Medicare approved. Please note that home health care is a different service from non-medical home care.

Medicare does not cover long-term care, 24-hour care at home, or non-medical home care if you need assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs) or personal care like bathing and have no other medical needs. Understanding exactly what Medicare covers can be complicated. We recommend that you consult with an insurance expert to see if you or your loved one is eligible.

 

Will my long-term care insurance cover In-Home Care?

It depends on your policy. If this is your first time using your benefits for home care, it’s best to contact your insurance provider to be sure that you have an active claim, confirm any applicable elimination period, and clarify the services covered under your policy. TheKey is an approved provider with most major Long-Term Care (LTC) insurance carriers-and we have a free service to help our clients navigate all aspects of the claims process.

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Is using a In-Home Care agency better than hiring a private caregiver?

If you value safety, security, and reliability, yes. A quality home care agency is insured and also manages the performance and scheduling of its caregivers, handles billing and payroll, and has back-up caregivers to fill in when needed. With a private hire caregiver, you’re responsible for setting up payroll and withholding taxes, caregiver vetting and background checks, and purchasing sufficient liability insurance to cover any accidents or injuries in the home.

 

What’s the best In-Home Care?

The best home care is provided by reliable, professional caregivers who are trained and backed by home care agency that’s insured, providing oversight, care guidance, and back-up caregivers as needed. It should always be tailored to the individual's particular needs.

 

How do I find the best caregiver for my loved one?

The best caregiver is an experienced professional who has the training and skills to support your loved one’s care needs. It’s also important to find a caregiver who’s extremely reliable--has back-up if necessary--and is a good fit in terms of personality and shared interests.

 

Is In-Home Care better than moving to assisted living?

Nine out of ten older adults would prefer to live independently in the home they know and love rather than moving to a facility or assisted living community. With the right level of support, most people can continue to live safely and comfortably at home even as they age with a progressive illness or medical condition.

Most seniors prefer to stay in their homes despite suffering from age-related conditions. While there are countless benefits to allowing them to stay in a place they love, if they have any underlying conditions due to old age, living alone may be difficult and unsafe.

In-home care services that provide companionship and necessary personal care assistance can open up a wide range of care options for your family. 

 

 

• Following are some benefits of hiring In-Home Care:

Offering Companionship
One of the significant challenges aged adults face is loneliness. Most of them lack social interaction opportunities, especially if they live alone.  An in-home senior caregiver will provide company to your loved ones. This companionship can have a positive effect on their health and life.  Some get stressed because of this condition and this could result in depression. 

Safe Transportation
Most aged adults are not in a position to drive safely and getting in and out of the vehicle may be challenging.  A professional in-home senior caregiver will offer safe transportation, as well as accompany your loved ones to the doctor's appointments, social events, shopping, and errands. This kind of assistance can enable your loved one to stay active in a world outside their home.

Increased Hygiene and Medication Management
Showering, dental hygiene, assistance with incontinence issues,  bowel movements, as well as reminders to take medication are all critical to the well-being of an elderly or disabled person.

 

Mindful Engagement
Keeping the mind active with activities and projects of interest can help delay the progression of dementia and it's a wonderful opportunity to collect meaningful keepsakes from someone's life that is special to the family.