How To Coordinate In Home Care

How To Coordinate In Home Care

Posted by Amy Criger on Wed, Apr 04, 2012 @ 12:35 PM

As our population gets older, aging in place is becoming an increasingly popular option. For the short term, the traditional services for aging in place, such as companionship, cleaning and meal preparation, are easily obtained. However, when people begin thinking about staying at home to meet their needs for long-term care, the amount of services and options available can be overwhelming.

In study after study, it has been clearly shown that most often people prefer to age at home, rather than be relocated somewhere else. For the short term, aging in place with just a few traditionally requested services, such as companionship, cleaning and meal preparation, may be easily obtained. However, for the long term, many people require several additional services and may feel overwhelmed. There are countless services available in our local community, but how does one easily locate and coordinate these services?

Several may not be aware that an excellent in-home care agency can help identify, locate and coordinate all the components for successful long-term care that may never have been considered before in-home care was begun. This relieves a lot of pressure from the frail elder and his/her family, as the agency will thoroughly assess the care needs from the very beginning and serve as a constant guide through the myriad of care services available in the community.

One of the recommended first steps to take is to have a thorough understanding of the care needs and what may be involved in care. A Geriatric Care Manager at an in-home care agency can be used to conduct a comprehensive assessment of client needs and then work with the client or the client?s family or advisors to help develop a plan of care, provide guidance, and monitor care and services. The plan of care can maximize available resources by including a number of community services to assure that all client needs are being met, and that the care at home is safe, comfortable and done efficiently and effectively.

Traditional in-home care services are often associated with the basic activities of daily living, which help a frail person with:

• Bathing
• Dressing
• Personal hygiene
• Exercise
• Walking, transfers and repositioning
• Meal planning and preparation
• Housekeeping ? cleaning/laundry

Other non-medical services can include companionship services, as well as respite services designed to give relief and rest to the family caregiver.

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Other services that may be needed to age in place are:

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Being aware of all the available community services is an important step toward successful aging in place. It is also important to understand that not all home care is alike. For more information about what services are available to you, request a free basic in home assessment or an in depth assessment with a geriatric care manager.

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