How In-Home Personal Care from Visiting Angels of Virginia Beach Can Compliment Home Health Care
It's easy to get the terms "home health care" and "in-home personal care" confused since they seem so similar. There are important distinctions between these two types of home care for seniors, but you may not know what they are until you or a loved one has needed them.
If your elderly loved one is living with a medical condition or recovering from an illness or injury, knowing about these services and how they can be combined can help you create a home care plan that provides a safe and comfortable environment for them to receive the supportive, compassionate care they need.
How Can In-Home Personal Care be Combined with Home Health Care?
While home health care and in-home personal care each serve a different purpose, they may be combined to provide the entire range of care requirements for seniors.
When home health care professionals are unable to accommodate an elderly patient's demanding schedule, a personal caregiver may. Caregivers may also be the "eyes and ears" for the family and home health professionals, reminding seniors of their appointments and medications. To improve communication and teamwork among employees and home health case managers, Visiting Angels has created a platform for care coordination.
Many families choose to keep their elderly loved ones under the care of an in-home caregiver even after their loved one has fully recovered.
What is Home Health Care?
Home health services are used by many seniors who are dealing with a chronic illness or acute health condition such as:
- Wound care
- Intravenous (IV) or medication therapy
- Injections
- Rehabilitation
- Health monitoring services
Skilled medical providers such as RNs, LPNs, certified home health aides working under the supervision of an RN, and physical, occupational, and speech therapists visit patients in their homes to offer these services.
Medicare and other insurance policies may cover medical treatment provided in the patient's home under a doctor's orders and supervision. There may be a limit on the annual number of home health care visits that are paid for by your insurer.
Home health care visits are typically short-term and irregular; however, the frequency and length are determined by the doctor depending on the patient's needs. For as long as the patient is unwell or recuperating, visits are planned with a particular goal in mind. Some examples of such care include attending three one-hour physical therapy sessions a week or providing a weekly intravenous infusion.
What is In-Home Personal Care?
Professional caregivers from Visiting Angels offer companionship, light housekeeping, meal preparation, and other non-medical services to clients in the comfort of their own homes. When beginning home care, the elder adult and their loved ones take the lead in making decisions and paying for their care, rather than a physician. As a result, the family may decide how frequently and for how long they'd like to have a caregiver visit.
While they cannot offer medical care, personal caregivers may help seniors with a variety of tasks, such as:
- Companionship and socialization
- Transportation
- Personal grooming, such as bathing and dressing
- Toileting
- Meal preparation
- Medication reminders
- Errands, such as picking up medication and grocery shopping
- Light housekeeping
In-Home Personal Care Can Make a Difference
An in-home personal caregiver may make a significant difference in the quality of life of your elderly loved one, whether they are recovering from a sickness or accident or are otherwise healthy and independent. Book a free, no-obligation in-home evaluation with your local home care service to find out how a caregiver from Visiting Angels may help with your elderly loved one's care.
Contact Visiting Angels of Virginia Beach today to learn more about our home care services and schedule a free consultation.
