Elder Home Care: 5 Benefits Of Home Care For The Elderly

By Author: Rebecca Sharp Colmer
Total Articles: 12
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Home health care can come in a variety of services, everything from nursing care and medication management to therapy and assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs). For many, home health care is the preferred means for receiving medical care.
Home health services can be provided by several types of highly trained health professionals including nurses, physical and occupational therapists, social workers, dieticians, nutritionists, home health aides and personal care workers. Home health services may include help with medication, meals, personal care, housecleaning, shopping, transportation and accessibility, and companionship.
Some of the benefits of elderly home care are:
1. Quicker discharge from the hospital. You may be allowed to leave the hospital sooner is your recuperative care can be provided by caregivers at home.
2. Privacy. Most elderly patients prefer the extra privacy of being able to recover in the comfort of their homes, as opposed to a clinical setting.
3. Family assistance. Because family and friends are essential to the healing process, they become a part of the care ...
... process at home.
4. Less isolation. Home care workers often connect patients to community resources such as support groups, senior services, and educational programs. Connections to these resources make it easier to get back to your normal life and become independent sooner.
5. Cost. Home health care is usually a lot less expensive than a stay in a skilled nursing facility.
Home health care may be provided through Medicare-certified agencies, individual licensees, or even unlicensed individuals who are willing to provide assistance. There are many important issues to consider in the process of selecting a home care provider. Be sure to discuss this matter with a trusted advisor, elder law attorney or family member before making a decision.
Rebecca Sharp Colmer knows personally the challenges and rewards of family caregiving. She has been a long-distance caregiver for her father-in-law. She is also a long-distance caregiver for her parents and is a caregiver coach for a friend whose husband has Alzheimer's disease. Learn more at http://www.meandmycaregivers.com