Types of Home Care for Elderly Adults

Understanding Home Care for Elderly Adults

What Is Home Care for Elderly Adults?

Home care for older adults involves trained nonmedical professionals or other caregivers assisting clients with everyday tasks of daily living, such as dressing, bathing, and preparing meals. 

Eldercare ensures an older adult has the support and resources to remain in their own home for longer. Caregivers complete essential tasks that seniors may struggle with due to cognitive or physical health issues. Older adults who can live in their own homes benefit from home health and personal care services.

How Does Home Care Support Aging in Place?

Home care helps aging adults remain independent longer by providing practical support with basic tasks and companionship to reduce loneliness. 

Older adults often feel more comfortable and safe in their own homes. Home health services allow seniors to age in place without losing quality of life. Caregivers provide essential services through compassionate, comprehensive personal care.

What Care Needs Can Be Met at Home?

Caregivers provide a wide range of nonmedical support, including cleaning, dressing, washing, feeding, grooming, toileting, and spending quality time with older adults with limited mobility or other health issues. 

Most needs can be met at home with the right resources and tools. Older adults may struggle to complete basic daily tasks on their own, and caregivers step in to assist with those responsibilities. By meeting care needs with compassion and professionalism, caregivers maintain client dignity and independence.

Personal Care and Activities of Daily Living (ADLs)

What Is Personal Care for Older Adults?

Older adults may need significant personal support with activities like personal hygiene, self-care, and mobility. 

Personal care may include a range of support services, such as housekeeping, medication management, health monitoring, and self-care. Every person has different needs and preferences. Caregivers collaborate closely with family members and clients to develop a tailored care plan that ensures the best possible experience for seniors aging in place.

Which Activities of Daily Living Can Be Supported?

Professional nonmedical caregivers receive training to ensure they know how to provide the following: 

• Assisting clients to the toilet and managing incontinence 
• Skin, hair, and oral care
• Assisting clients with standing, walking, sitting, and using mobility devices 
• Offering companionship 
• Meal preparation, including grocery shopping and cooking
• Feeding assistance for clients with difficulty swallowing or eating
• Ensuring clients remain hydrated 
• Dressing for the day or preparing for bed

Caregivers can also often support specialized needs for older adults.

How Do Care Plans Address Daily Routines?

Professional caregivers use a care plan to determine what types of support a client needs and how caregiving will fit into their daily schedule. 

Most caregiver agencies create a daily care plan with the family or client to ensure the worker knows what activities to complete during their shift. The care plan may include detailed instructions or a few general notes, depending on the client’s level of care. Caregiver agencies regularly check in with clients and update care plans as necessary to meet client needs.

Homemaker & Companion Services

What Do Homemaker Services Include?

Homemaker services generally do not include dressing, toileting, or other personal hygiene care; instead, they provide basic household services such as shopping, cleaning, cooking, and companionship. 

Homemakers often assist older adults who can manage their own self-care and hygiene. Still, they may struggle to do housework due to mobility issues, lack of energy, chronic health issues, memory problems, or other issues.

Meal delivery services like LifeSpring Home Nutrition help older adults maintain some household responsibilities. All they have to do is heat and eat the meals, with minimal packaging, making meal prep and cleanup easy.

How Does Light Housekeeping Support Quality of Life?

Many older adults struggle with housekeeping due to mobility issues, lower energy, and chronic medical conditions, but housekeepers can handle these tasks, improving the client’s quality of life. 

Housekeeping and companion care support older adults who can still manage their own personal needs and only require assistance with small household tasks. By taking those tasks off their client’s plate, homemakers give older adults additional time and energy to spend on other pursuits.

Home Health Care Services

What Is Home Health Care?

Home health care experts have the training and certifications to provide nursing services and other healthcare in clients’ homes, and they can also perform caregiver tasks such as dressing, bathing, and assisting with other hygiene needs. 

Caregivers or skilled nurses providing home health care ensure older adults have the tools, resources, and support they need to maintain their health. Home health care also addresses mental health issues, such as loneliness, anxiety, or depressive episodes.

Which Skilled Nursing Services Can Be Provided at Home?

Some of the skilled nursing services older people can receive in their homes include: 

• Physical therapy
• Occupational therapy
• Speech therapy
• Wound care
• Medication management
• Injections and blood draws
• Disease education 
• Monitoring vital signs 
• Counseling
• Assisting with personal care

Skilled nurses monitor older adults for signs of physical or emotional distress and take action if they believe the client requires additional help.

When Are Therapies Like Physical or Occupational Therapy Needed?

Older adults recovering from an injury or surgery, living with chronic health conditions, and experiencing problems due to age-related issues may benefit from physical or occupational therapy. 

Age-related and chronic health issues, including arthritis, can improve with physical therapy. Occupational therapy may assist older adults with fine motor skills and cognitive function. Professional occupational and physical therapists come into the home and recommend helpful changes, such as adding grab bars in the bathroom or installing ramps over short stairways.

Medical and Skilled Nursing Care Options

What Does Skilled Nursing Mean in Home Care?

Skilled nursing care is a more comprehensive form of home health care provided by licensed nurses. 

A healthcare professional enters the client’s home and works closely with the client and their care team to ensure the best possible care. Skilled nurses offer personalized services (e.g., wound care) to older adults living in their own homes. Every healthcare provider tailors their services to the specific needs of the person in their care to provide a positive experience.

Caregiver and Family Support Services

What Is the Role of a Family Caregiver?

Some families may choose to care for aging loved ones on their own without relying on outside help. 

A family caregiver can receive training to provide nonmedical care and support for their loved one. If a family member has a medical background, they may be eligible to obtain licensure as a skilled nursing caregiver, providing additional support and health monitoring.

How Does Respite Care Help Family Members?

Respite care provides family members with extra support, allowing them to maintain personal or professional responsibilities while caring for their loved one. 

You have a limit on how much time and energy you can devote to helping a loved one age in place. Respite care provides qualified individuals or a team to share the load. A respite care worker comes into the home to care for your loved one when you need a break or have other responsibilities.

Some loved ones may not know when to seek additional support. Families should seek support from respite care, external caregiving agencies, home-delivered meals, or other services if they begin to feel overwhelmed.

Specialized Long-Term Care Options

What Long-Term Care Services Are Available at Home?

Some of the long-term care services available to help older adults in their homes include: 

• Housekeeping
• Personal care
• Therapies
• Skilled nursing
• Dementia care
• Post-surgery recovery 
• Caregiver respite 

Long-term care provides consistent, structured support for older adults in their homes.

How Does Hospice Care Support Comfort and Well-Being?

Hospice care changes focus from treatment and support to managing symptoms and side effects. 

Older adults with terminal or life-limiting conditions benefit from the following hospice services: 

• Medication and therapies
• Holistic and spiritual support
• Symptom management 

Seniors with severe health issues or terminal illness can find peace in hospice care.

When Is Nursing Home or Assisted Living More Appropriate?

Older adults who need significant help with daily activities and want to maintain a social life while remaining independent benefit from an assisted living environment. 

Nursing homes offer 24/7 specialized medical care to improve the quality of life for older adults with complex medical issues. Seniors with late stages of dementia or Alzheimer’s, severe mobility issues, and behavioral problems may benefit from a nursing home where a team of experts can provide around-the-clock care.

Older adults in the early stages of cognitive or physical decline can often receive care at home, preserving their independence.

Choosing a Home Care Agency

What Should You Look for in Home Care Providers?

During your search for a reputable home care agency, you should check the following: 

• Agency accreditation and licensing 
• Information about caregiver background checks, training, and insurance 
• Service details
• Costs for all services
• Reviews from previous clients
• Communication protocols

Agencies that have a consistent protocol for background checks and training and hold all necessary credentials are more likely to provide effective care.

Many families worry about how a home care agency determines the level of care their loved one needs. A case manager will work with the client and their loved ones to choose the best level of care.

Understanding Eligibility, Costs, and Insurance

Which Services Does Medicare or Medicaid Cover?

Medicare and Medicaid may cover partial or complete home care services depending on multiple factors. 

Long-term care (LTC) insurance fills the gaps in Medicare coverage by providing daily or monthly benefits for services. Other versions of health insurance, including long-term care insurance, may cover caregiver support, day care, and other forms of elder care.

How Do Families Get Referrals for Home Health Agencies?

A primary care doctor or community organization can provide referrals to home health agencies that offer in-home care and other services. 

Referrals connect you with local resources that provide the services you need to help a loved one age in place. According to the National Institute on Aging (NIA), “To find a home health care service, ask your doctor or other health care professional about good options in your area.” Families can receive referrals to multiple home health agencies to vet and choose from.

LifeSpring Home Nutrition Supports Home Care for Older Adults

How Does LifeSpring Help Loved Ones Maintain Their Health at Home?

LifeSpring Home Nutrition offers nutritional support and weekly home-delivered meals tailored to the needs of older adults. 

For some caregivers, frozen, nutritious meals play an essential part in in-home care. Frozen, healthy meals delivered by LifeSpring Home Nutrition add convenience and flexibility to meals for older adults, increasing independence. The meals have enriched foods that ensure older adults get the recommended amount of vitamins and minerals in their weekly diet.

How Does LifeSpring Support Family Caregivers and Home Care Plans?

LifeSpring Home Nutrition offers tailored nutritional support with weekly meal deliveries to help caregivers and families manage meal plans. 

The weekly delivery also acts as a check-in for older adults who may not have traditional caregiving support. Older adults aging in place benefit from the routine and nutritional routine provided by home-delivered meals from LifeSpring Home Nutrition.

FAQs About Home Care for Elderly Adults

Is home care better than a nursing home for older adults?

Home care is an excellent option for older adults who can live independently with assistance from caregivers or home health care workers. Older adults who have conditions that require more monitoring may need to move to a nursing home that provides 24/7 support. 

Both options are appropriate for specific individuals and situations. You can consult with a medical professional for advice on what level of care your loved one may need to have the most positive aging experience. Frequently, older adults feel more comfortable aging in place when possible.

According to the NIA, “Many people want the same things as they get older: to stay in their own homes, to maintain independence for as long as possible, and to turn to family and friends for help when needed.” However, “Living at home as you age requires careful consideration and planning.”

LifeSpring Home Nutrition can help by providing balanced meals.

How do I know what type of care my loved one needs?

Everyone has different needs and levels of care as they age. 

You can talk with a medical professional to determine what type of care your loved one needs to maintain a good quality of life.

Often, older adults move through multiple levels of care as they grow older. For example, they may age at home until it reaches a point where they need 24/7 monitoring and support, at which time they will move to an assisted living or nursing home facility.

Can Medicare pay for a home health aide?

Yes. Medicare may pay for home health care or other forms of senior care that help older adults maintain independence for longer. 

You can check Medicare plan coverage to determine what at-home care services will be covered for your loved one. Depending on the level of care needed, Medicare may cover all or most in-home services.

Are home care providers required to do background checks?

Yes! California law requires all home care providers to do background checks for all caregivers and other staff. 

Every legitimate caregiver, nurse, or health care worker who comes into your home should have passed a background check and have relevant licensing on file with their agency. Always ask how an agency vets their workers and if they have the necessary accreditation before letting anyone into your home.

How can family members get peace of mind when choosing care?

Families gain peace of mind by collaborating with their loved one’s care team to ensure they receive the most appropriate support. 

You will feel more comfortable entrusting others to care for your loved one if you carefully vet the agency and ensure the care workers fully understand your loved one’s needs and preferences. Caregivers should loop you into the care plan process and, with your loved one’s permission, provide progress reports.

The bigger part you play in ensuring your loved one receives the best possible care, the more peace of mind you will feel as they age in place.

Many older adults benefit from home care and support services that help them maintain independence longer. LifeSpring Home Nutrition offers home-delivered, nutritious meals for elderly people who choose to age in place. To learn more about how meal delivery can support aging in place or to sign up for our services, call our office today at (800) 798-5767.