The vast majority of older adults wish to age in the comfort of their own home. However, when assistance is needed, finding home care services can be challenging. Understanding what type of care your loved one needs and what to look for in a Boca Raton home care agency will provide a competent decision for your loved one’s care.
Granny Nannies of Baca Raton is here to give you five things you need to know when looking for Florida home care services.
Is There a Difference Between Home Care and Health Care?
The answer is yes. Home care is often known as private duty care or private pay services. Sometimes it’s known as personal care or companion care. These services are usually paid for by the individual receiving care, regardless if it’s out of pocket from someone’s savings or insurance. Home care services are mostly “non-medical” services and can range from companionship for housekeeping transport, personal care, dementia care, and 24-hours or respite care. Home health care always has a “skilled nursing care” component. It also involves certain other health care services one receives in a home setting for the treatment of a condition, illness, or injury. The care is based on that condition, illness, or injury. Therefore, home care also covers those situations where the care is ongoing, and the condition or illness is chronic and does not improve over a specified period.
Is My Loved One Eligible for Florida Home Care?
Anyone is eligible for home care services for which one privately pays a fee. Eligibility does come into play if you’re looking for help paying for care from any source other than private funds. Elder law attorneys and estate planners can be very beneficial when planning for the payment of long-term home care.
What About Medicare?
It’s a common misunderstanding that Medicare will pay for long-term care needs, when in fact the opposite is true. Medicare is health insurance coverage provided by the United States government for people over the age of 65 that covers skilled medicare. Unfortunately, it does not include assistance with daily living activities such as bathing, dressing, and grooming. Some of the benefits may possibly be available for short-term health care, but only if specific conditions are met.
How Can I Pay for Home Care?
There are multiple ways to pay for in-home care, including retirement savings such as pensions and life insurance policies or long-term care insurance. Some states offer a home care allowances through their Department of Social Services, and there may be other organizations within your state that provide assistance.
Should I Hire an Independent Caregiver or a Friend’s Referral, or go with a Professional Boca Raton Home Care Agency?
This decision comes down to your personal choice. However, nurse registries and private hires can come with some hidden risks. When working with registries or hiring a caregiver on your own, the responsibility of managing and supervising the worker falls on the patient, a family member, or a family advisor. In addition, government-mandated taxes and workers’ compensation coverage usually fall on the consumer, and often the workers are not adequately trained and equipped with proper skills. Full-service home care agencies such as Granny Nannies of Boca Raton provide care by employees of the agency who are screened, trained, and monitored. There are much more safety and far less potential liability for the care recipient than with a nurse registry or private hire.