There are various types of in-home care services available for elderly individuals. Some services could include only basic companionship while others may include skilled medical care and home care by trained and experienced nurses. Following are the different categories of in home services for seniors:
Personal Care Assistance
Personal care assistance refers to assistance with all activities of daily living as well as help with non-medical, personal care activities such as toileting, feeding, dressing, grooming, and bathing. Personal care assistance can be very useful for the elderly individual who is having difficulty executing activities of daily living for one’s personal hygiene and care. Nursing professionals are trained to support elderly individuals with dignity and patience and care. They can assistance in doctor visits and can reduce the stress and burden on family members and loved ones.
Here is a more detailed breakdown of the services provided under personal care. Based on one’s own personal need and requirement, you can choose a combination of services that you need:
- Assistance with ADLs
- Assistance with mobility
- Companionship, social engagement, and cognitive stimulation
Health Care at Home
Health care at home refers to higher level of medical care and assistance for elderly individuals. Home healthcare services are provided by licensed, trained and experienced nurses and they aid with task such administering injections, maintaining oxygen tubes and catheters, medication administration, conducting physical or occupational therapy, offering ventilator care, etc. Home health care can also extend to services of
doctor at home, physiotherapists, lab technicians or other medical professionals who can visit the home of elderly individuals to offer their services. With home healthcare, elderly individuals need not be kept in hospitals for long, since a lot of medical care services can be provided at their own home outside of the hospital. It also helps avoiding frequent visits to the hospital and can reduce the risk of seniors being exposed to infections in hospitals or clinics.
Following are the services that are included in home health care:
- Skilled nursing, first aid, and wound care
- Post-surgery recovery care
- Physical therapy
- Occupational therapy
- Respiratory therapy and assistance with oxygen tanks and tubing
- Assistance with maintaining and cleaning feeding tubes, catheters, and other medical devices
- Medication administration, including injections
- Assistance managing and monitoring chronic conditions
- Blood withdrawals
Companion Care Services
The objective of companion care services is to provide company and emotional support for older individuals. This service can be especially useful for seniors who are living alone at home, are isolated or are dealing with cognitive impairments such as Alzheimer’s. Nursing professionals provide support to seniors by reading to them, preparing meals or snacks for them, taking them to parks or to appointments, etc. Companion care services can significantly improve the mental health of elderly individuals, which can then have a positive impact on their physical health.