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Home Health Care

When a loved one or friend is unable to care for himself or herself and requires help with medical care, personal care or household chores, home health care may be a sensible solution.

The availability of many different home health care services makes it possible for patients to stay independent, remain in familiar surroundings, and keep costs down. Home care is not just for the sick or for the elderly. It can be for anyone - individuals and families who are troubled by a variety of health and social problems: short or long-term illness, injury, mental disorders and retardation, alcoholism, and physical or social handicaps, among others.

Some home care services are provided by nurses, nutritionists and therapists, who administer medical care, plan special diets, or perform specific types of therapy. Other home care services are offered by social workers, home health aides and volunteers who provide counseling, assist in dressing or bathing the patient, cook, shop and even offer reassurance through daily telephone calls.

Home health care providers can be found through various community agencies. Employment agencies and nurses registries place health personnel in your home for a fee. After that, you assume responsibility as the employer. Government-supported home care agencies usually serve people who meet certain income, age and health requirements. There are also profit-making (proprietary) home care agencies, as well as non-profit home care agencies, such as home health aide services, visiting nurse associations or hospital-based services.

The availability of home care services varies depending on the resources in your community. Check the yellow page listings for "home health services", "nurses", or "social service organizations". Also look in the telephone directory in the government pages under county or state offices on aging.

Look for agencies that evaluate home situations and develop plans that match health, social and financial needs of the patient. Discuss security in detail. Anyone coming into a private home should have proper references and identification. Consider storing large sums of cash, jewelry or other valuables in a safe place, preferably a bank safe deposit box. Before making a final decision, check with your local Better Business Bureau to see if it has a reliability report on the agency or provider.

Involve the patient in the decision-making process as much as possible. Also, be there yourself the first day services begin and try to stop in periodically.

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