How To Find A Reliable Caregiver For Your Elderly Parent

Home care in your home may be more affordable than moving your elderly parent to an assisted living facility. However, it is common to be apprehensive about letting a stranger into your parent's home. Here are four things to consider when choosing a reliable caregiver for your parent.

Level of Care

Your search for a reliable caregiver should start with determining the level of care for your elderly parent's needs. The home health agency is the oldest provider of home care services. The two types of home care services are medical and non-medical.

Medical Caregiving Services

Home health agency services offer physical and occupational therapy, skilled nursing, home health aides, social work and professional supervision. These type of agencies focus on the medical aspects of caregiving and supplements the care with home health care aides. Medical caregivers have to follow a doctor approved plan. It is required by Medicare that this plan is updated every 60 days. The man purpose of medical caregiving services is to provide skilled care for rehabilitation or treatment for homebound patients.

Non-Medical Caregiving Services

A non-medical home care agency provides home care services that does not require skill care. These services are done by companions, homemakers, non-certified nurse aide, certified nursing assistants and home health aides. Example services may include assistance with dressing, bathing, eating, toileting, companion care and housekeeping. Non-medical caregiving services are normally not covered under Medicare. Families have to pay for these services using long-term care insurance or pay out-of-pocket. This type of care does not follow a doctor approved plan because it is not medically necessary.

Home Health Agency

Hiring a certified home health agency (such as ComForcare Home Care - New Orleans) is one of the best options for finding reliable help. This is how it works. You pay the agency and they take care of everything. These services may include an assessment of the patient's needs, pre-screening caregivers, assigning a train and experienced caregiver and finding fill-in aides on days when assigned aides are unavailable. However, hiring an agency is also the most expensive option.

Medicare does not cover non-medical caregiving services. If your parent has low income and qualifies for Medicaid, then it will cover some of the services. You can visit Medicare.gov to compare and locate Medicare approved home health agencies.

Families have the option of seeking out their own candidates for caregiving services. If you choose this approach, then you become the employer. You are responsible for background checks and paying the person. The main point is to find someone that you can trust to make life easier for your parent.  


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