Organizing care at home for your loved one can be a stressful task. Studies have shown that most people prefer to stay at home and that being placed in a facility is not the first option. Sometimes, family members can handle the tasks of caring for a loved one, but as needs increase, more professional help is needed. If you are thinking of obtaining in home care for a loved one, here are some common questions people ask:
How do I find caregivers that I can rely on?
There are two options for hiring caregivers:
- You can try and hire someone on your own. This involves posting ads, conducting interviews, reviewing resumes, and other tasks.
- You can use an established home care agency like Mom’s Home Care. Our agency does all the legwork and will only provide caregivers who have passed our screening process and have verifiable references. Usually, you will get a caregiver that has experience working for our agency.
Hiring a caregiver through our agency avoids many headaches. A common one being that if a caregiver gets ill or does not show up, we have on call caregivers in place.
Whether you go through an agency or hire an individual, it's important you check references and run background checks on any care providers.
What are the costs?
Medicare and private insurance does not cover long term private in home care. Mom’s home care has a tiered pricing structure based on the hours needed. There is a 4 hour minimum, and we can provide service up to 24 hours a day if needed. Please call our office for details.
How do I choose between in home care and facility placement?
This decision is mainly based on the persons health needs, the physical environment of the persons home, and financial recourses available.
Sometimes a persons health needs are too great to properly monitor at home. Most home care agencies provide non medical care. If there are too many health concerns, even with a visiting nurse, a facility may be a better option.
- The physical environment of the home is important.
- Can your loved one easily navigate through the home?
- Are there stairs?
- Are the hallways and doors wide enough for a wheelchair? Can they get in and out of the shower easily?
What if my loved one won’t admit they need help?
The best approach is to speak to your loved one about needing help. They should be a part of the decision-making process , instead of it being forced on them. In most cases, there will be some push-back or anger from your loved one. They may be in denial of their declining health, and may object to strangers in their home.
The best route in getting around this attitude is to say “let’s give this a try for a short while.” This approach usually works very well, and gives your loved one a chance to adjust to the help.
