In-Home Care Resource Guide
Spokane – Boise – Twin Falls
Your Guide to In-Home Care
Table of Contents:
- What is In-Home Care?
- Who Is In-Home Care For?
- What Are The Benefits Of In-Home Care vs. Moving Into A Facility?
- What Type Of Options Are Available With In-Home Care?
- How Do You Qualify For In-Home Care?
- What Should You Look For When Selecting In-Home Care?
- What Services Does In-Home Care Provide?
- What Type Of Training Does Someone Who Provides In-Home Care Have?
- How Are You Matched With An In-Home Care Provider?
- How To Know If Your Loved One Needs In-Home Care
- Is In-Home Care Covered By Insurance Or Medicare?
- About Havenwood Caregiver Services
What is In-Home Care?
In-home care refers to any type of support service that allows a person to continue to live safely in their home without the need to move into a care facility (ie: a skilled nursing facility, retirement community, adult home, enriched housing, or independent living apartments). These services can be either short- or long-term. For the person receiving in-home care, remaining in their own home has many advantages. Different types of in-home care available can be tailored to the individual needs of the recipient of the care including for those who are aging, disabled, or recovering from illness or surgery.
Who Is In-Home Care For?
Aging Seniors
In-home care can be used to help seniors who need assistance to continue to live independently as they age, especially if they are experiencing symptoms of memory loss or are in the early stages of Alzheimer’s.
Recovering From Illness or Injury
Someone who is recovering from surgery or illness, or is managing a chronic health condition can benefit from in-home care services.
Special Needs or Disabilities
For adults who have special needs or a disability, in-home care can provide them with the independence they need to thrive while still maintaining good health.
Family Members Providing Care
In some cases, loved ones provide the majority of care for the person who needs support, but caring for someone full-time can be exhausting both physically and mentally. In-home care can provide temporary respite for family caregivers who otherwise don’t get a break from their duties.
What Are The Benefits Of In-Home Care Versus Moving Into A Facility?
Familiar Environment
In-home care is beneficial for several reasons. The biggest advantage in-home care has over moving into a care facility is that the person receiving the care can stay safe in a familiar and comfortable setting. Continuing to live in their home is a big factor in remaining independent, especially in the case of people as they age. Most seniors would prefer to stay in their homes when possible, and change can be difficult, especially for those who have lived in their house for decades.
Less Exposure to Illness
Those who receive in-home care are also at a lower risk of being exposed to harmful illnesses, viruses, and other infectious diseases, which makes it a perfect solution for those who are immunocompromised. This is especially notable during the COVID outbreak.
Added Privacy
A patient has a sense of privacy when they have space to themselves and they may feel more comfortable and trusting with their caregiver. This can enhance communication and improve the quality of care they receive as well as minimize embarrassment.
More One-on-One Care
In-home care also provides the opportunity for more personalized, one-on-one care, and the chance for the care recipient to form a close relationship with their caregiver companion.
What Type Of Options Are Available With In-Home Care?
There are a variety of types of Boise, Spokane & Twin Falls area in home care and caregivers available, depending on the needs of the client. The most basic level of in-home care simply helps the recipient perform various tasks to help them remain independent while providing compassionate companionship and support as well. In cases where the care recipient has more complex medical needs, in-home health care can provide them with more specialized attention like physical or occupational therapy or medication dosages. This can help the recipient stay out of the hospital and comfortable in their own home.
How Do You Qualify For In-Home Care?
Sometimes, in order for insurance to cover in-home health care services, a patient first has to qualify to receive it. In order to qualify, the recipient must meet a few stipulations.
- In most cases, the recipient of care must be housebound (i.e. unable to leave their home independently).
- Also, they must require skilled care in order to improve, regain function, or slow any further decline.
- Finally, the person needs to be under the care of a doctor who can complete the documents that are needed to get coverage.
You can read more about insurance coverage, Medicare, and in-home care below.
What Should You Look For When Selecting In-Home Care?
Choosing the right caregiver for a loved one is essential because you are entrusting them to provide compassionate care for your loved one and also to respect sensitive information. You want to make sure that you’re receiving care from someone who has all the necessary requirements and certifications, so it’s important to do research into an in-home care service before making a decision. Think about what your loved one will need from their in-home caregiver and make sure there is a match between their needs and what the service will provide.
Make sure to research the following:
- Learn about their licensure.
- Ask whether or not the staff is insured and bonded.
- Discover how closely they work with doctors.
- Find out how long they’ve been in business.
- Take time to interview the in-home care provider.
- Read reviews about the company.
- Check with friends for referrals to see who they recommend or don’t.
- Follow up with the company on their procedure for addressing possible concerns.
This information can give you some key insight into how they operate and what kind of service you’ll receive. Be sure to pay attention to red flags when asking important questions. It is extremely important to only choose someone you feel confident in.
What Services Does In-Home Care Provide?
The services that in-home care provides depends on the level of your loved one’s needs. In-home care can help recipients with things like:
- Running Errands – from picking up prescriptions to grocery shopping
- Meal Preparation – with considerations for specialized diets
- Personal Care and Dressing Assistance – grooming tasks, bathing, and using the toilet
- Light Housekeeping – including general cleaning duties like laundry
- Appointment Transportation – getting to and from doctor’s appointments or other engagements
- Companionship – recipients of care can form deep bonds with their caregivers, providing the in-person contact they need to stay mentally and physically healthy
- Home Safety Assessments – provide a walkthrough to highlight issues that can be addressed to make their home safer and more useable
- Individualized Therapy Programs – care without the need to be in a clinical or hospital setting
- Maintaining Specialized Equipment – catheters, feeding tubes, and oxygen tanks
- Medication Reminders and Assistance – assuring the right medication is taken at the right time
- All Day or All Night Care – providing unique services based around the time of day including dressing for the day or getting ready for bed
Caregiver Respite – if the person receiving care usually gets help from a family member or loved one
What Type Of Training Does Someone Who Provides In-Home Care Have?
Those who are providing basic in-home care may simply have a basic caregiver certification or a Home Health Aide license (HHA). When training to receive these certifications, caregivers learn basic first aid, how to assist people with daily living activities, what to do in emergency situations, and how to communicate with families. Many home health care providers require further training if the caregiver is to perform medical duties. Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) have more experience with caring for those who have long-term disabilities or chronic illnesses or are recovering from an injury or illness. Those who are providing services like physical therapy must also have special certifications.
How Are You Matched With An In-Home Care Provider?
It is important to find a caregiver who matches well with the person who is in need of care. This can help form a foundation of trust, and if the carer and caregiver get along well, it can help to speed recovery, boost mental health, and establish a strong relationship. An in-home care provider should help you analyze the needs of both the client and the caregiver to make sure that they will work well together. A caregiver should have all the proper training and qualifications that the client needs, and should be able to do any of the physical tasks required from the person needing care (i.e. lifting, bending, etc.)
Other factors that should be taken into consideration are general disposition and personality, the travel time required for the caregiver to get to the client, whether the client has pets that the caregiver may not want to interact with, and other lifestyle factors and habits. A match might not always happen on the first try!
How To Know If Your Loved One Needs In-Home Care
Making the decision to get in-home care for a loved one can be difficult, but it’s usually a decision made out of necessity. If you notice that your loved one is no longer able to keep up with basic household chores like cleaning or preparing meals, or simply seems lonely throughout the day, an in-home care provider might be a great option. In addition, if your loved one is unable to drive or get around to appointments or errands easily, in-home care can help.
And if your loved one is recovering from surgery, illness, or has had a recent decline in health, having someone around to look after them when family members are unable to can give you the peace of mind knowing that they are safe and well taken care of.
Is In-Home Care Covered By Insurance Or Medicare?
As mentioned above, insurance or Medicare usually has certain requirements that a person needs to meet in order to get their care covered. Check with your insurance provider to see what stipulations need to be met. In the case of Medicare, 24-hour-a-day care at home is not covered, nor are meals delivered to a home. If the person requiring care only needs assistance with things like cleaning, shopping, bathing, dressing, meal prep, and household tasks, this is not covered either. A doctor must certify that the patient requires home health care to have it covered.
About Havenwood Caregiver Services
Our in-home care provider’s mission is simply to provide compassionate and dependable care for seniors and those in need, allowing them to live independently and age in place. We accomplish this mission by partnering with and being an advocate for our clients and their families, by partnering with and respecting our employees, and by creating a team where challenges can be successfully overcome.
If you’re looking for an in-home health care provider for a loved one and are located in the Boise, Nampa & Caldwell areas, Twin Falls & Gooding, Idaho, or Spokane, Washington area, schedule a caregiver consult. Havenwood Caregiver Services offers compassionate care that you can trust so that you can rest assured knowing that your loved one is in great hands.