A Proactive Approach to Home Care: What Should I Be Considering?

Receiving in-home care services has never been easier but not all senior services are alike. What are the reasons you may be looking for home care? Maybe it is a recent medical episode, management of a chronic illness, or caregiver burnout.

Patients, families, physicians, and hospitals should be working together in care coordination. The right in-home care agency will help to ensure access to resources and top-level services that help establish:

• A heightened quality of care
• Education on warning signs and symptoms leading to early detection/intervention for proactive disease management
• Reduction in length of stay visits or hospital admissions
  
  If you are caregiver or individual looking for in-home services and are questioning what to think about, here is a list of considerations:

Evaluate your specific needs.

Everyone has individualized needs and requires a custom look at their caregiving requirements. List out your needs:

• • Is there a complex medical situation that requires a licensed nurse?
  • Do you need assistance with medication management?
  • Is transportation to appointments involved?
  • Does your loved one require assistance with daily living skills such as bathing, dressing, eating, etc?
  • Is housekeeping, meal prep or grocery shopping a needed service?

What are your or your loved one’s preferences in caregiving?

A good caregiver provides an open line of communication, is respectful, forward thinking, and compassionate. It is important to look into your own situation and ask agencies if they can accommodate specific start dates, personalities, or possibly gender requests. Sometimes your loved one may have preferences regarding personal care or personalities entering their home. For example, do you prefer someone soft spoken or talkative?

Create a discussion outline

Any new service or job has a hiring process. When researching home care agencies, create a list of questions or important information needing to be covered in your discussion during your decision-making process. This can include anything from credentialing, to training, and company mission and goals as care providers.  

           What is your budget?

Caring for a loved one requires an investment of time, emotions, and finances. Outlining your budget can help you in the long run so there are no surprises. Don’t forget to investigate insurance, Medicare or Medicaid as you could be eligible for assistance. And if you have questions, we are here to help evaluate as well. 

 Inform you caregiving team of your aging in place plan

Caring for an aging family member is a common responsibility not taken lightly. It requires the ability to communicate with many members of a loved one’s caregiving team - from other family members, to physicians, and care providers. Aligning with the right organization with dedicated case managers, and innovative communication platforms, can help alleviate some of the pressures and allow entire caregiving teams being notified as necessary.

Get In-Home Support

Whether you need skilled nursing care, therapy services, or in-home caregiver services for a loved one, Home Care Providers - Nightingale Home Health, Nightingale Visiting Nurse, and Aspire Home Health can help. We give you the support you need to provide the best care for your loved one. Request a personalized quote from your local Home Care Provider organization.

We’re Hiring!

If you have a passion for caring for others and you’re interested in a career with Home Care Providers - Nightingale or Aspire, find open positions with one of our local offices.

Home Care Providers provides personalized, high-quality care with the most innovative technology allowing physicians, families, and care teams to stay connected and in compliance by documenting and communicating within a secure portal. We want our patients, families, physicians, hospitals, and any facility we coordinate care with to experience THE BEST services possible!