In-Home Personal Care Can Complement Home Care In Colchester, VT
"Home care" and "in-home personal care" may sound similar, but they are two different, commonly confused services. Unless you or a loved one has previously used these services, you may not know the differences between the two and how each can benefit the older adult in your life.
We'll look at the differences between these two types of care and help you decide which type is best for your loved one.
These services — and how they can be used together — can help you develop a home care plan that surrounds your aging loved one with supportive, compassionate senior care, especially if they are living with a medical condition or recovering after an illness, surgery, or injury.
What is Home Care?
Many older adults who are living with a chronic or acute health condition receive home services, including:
- Intravenous (IV) or medication therapy
- Wound care
- Injections
- Health monitoring services
- Rehabilitation
Instead of having only one person, or caretaker, come to their home, your loved one may benefit from having a team. This team could consist of several people who provide different types of care. Depending on the patient's and family members' needs, they may work for the same company or different ones.
Home care may be paid for by Medicare or another insurance company and is ordered and directed by a physician. Some insurance plans may have eligibility limits restricting the number of covered home health visits per year.
The physician decides the frequency and duration of visits based on the patient's needs, but home care visits are generally short-term and intermittent. Visits intend to accomplish a specific task for as long as the patient is ill or recovering. Examples of tasks include administering an IV infusion once a week or doing a physical therapy session for an hour three times a week.
What is In-Home Personal Care?
Personal care is also known as in-home support services. It is usually provided by a professional, trained private caregiver who accompanies a senior on their responsibility.
Like home care services, personal care is paid for by Medicare and the patient's health insurance company. Still, the service is only ordered and directed by a physician or healthcare professional.
Unlike home health visits, personal care visits are intended to be longer-term and less frequent. The older adult can expect to see one or two different caregivers on an ongoing basis.
Although personal caregivers are not licensed to provide medical care, they can assist with an older adult's everyday needs, including:
- Meal preparation
- Companionship
- Transportation
- Toileting
- Light housekeeping
- Medication reminders
- Personal grooming, such as bathing and dressing
- Errands, such as picking up medication and grocery shopping
How Can In-Home Personal Care be Combine With Home Care?
Personal care can be combined with home care in many different ways. You may choose to have one professional provide both services. Or they can be provided by two other organizations that provide medical and non-medical services together.
Personal caregivers can work longer hours and assist a senior when home care providers cannot. Personal caregivers can also remind older adults of home health appointments, help with medication reminders and serve as the "eyes and ears" for the family and home care providers.
Many people prefer to keep the services of a personal caregiver separate from their home care. It can be easier to continue home care and continuity of a personal caregiver after the home care stops.
In-Home Personal Care Can Make a Difference in Colchester, VT
Whether your older adult is living with an illness or injury or is enjoying robust health, an in-home personal caregiver can make a real difference. Our local Colchester, VT, home care agency can assist with your senior's care.
To learn more about how a Visiting Angels caregiver can assist with your senior's care, schedule a no-cost, no-obligation assessment with your local home care agency.
Call Visiting Angels Vermont to learn if in-home senior care is right for your loved one!
