For anyone who needs assistance with the activities of daily living, in-home care can be an ideal solution. Home care agencies deliver the services people need to maintain their independence and age in place safely in the comfort of their own home.
Non-medical home care is often confused with home health care. Home health care includes services provided by doctors, nurses, therapists, etc. and typically those services are paid for by Medicare for some period of time. A doctor’s order is required to start home health care services. Non-medical home care provides personal care such as assistance with activities like bathing/showering, grooming, oral hygiene, toileting, medication reminders and transfers/ambulation assistance. A doctor’s order is not required. Caregivers can also provide light housekeeping, laundry services, transportation, shopping/errands, pet care and meal planning and preparation. If you think about any activities that you do on a daily basis that you now need help with, non-medical home care agencies can assist you.
Non-medical home care is not covered by Medicare, but a veteran’s benefit, if eligible, and Medicaid long term care programs can cover care. Private long term care insurance is accepted by most agencies, and the vast majority of services is self-pay.
Most home care agencies employ Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) or certified Home Health Aides (HHAs) who have experience with certain conditions in addition to standard elder care. These include Alzheimer’s/dementia, neurologically impaired or non-ambulatory clients, those with paralysis, traumatic brain injuries and any other condition that requires daily assistance.
When you interview a home care agency, the key questions to ask are:
1) Are your caregivers W-2 employees?
2) Aside from licensing, are you also bonded and insured?
3) Do you try to have the same person provide services?
4) Do you have a back-up staffing plan to care for me when my regular aide is unavailable?
5) Do you regularly communicate with me regarding my care and caregivers?
If the answer to any of these questions is no, then you need to look for another home care agency that will provide the quality of care that you deserve.
AVID Home Care Services
2425 N Courtenay Parkway, Suite 10
Merritt Island, Florida 32953
www.avidhomecareservices.com
(321) 392-3400
