| Services to Help you Stay at Home | | | | - Homemaker Services – Can include help with |
| Each year, more than 22,000 agencies nationwide | | | | cooking, light cleaning, laundry, grocery shopping, and |
| provide home care services to more than two million | | | | other household chores. |
| people with physical disabilities, chronic health | | | | - Personal Care – Assistance with a variety of |
| problems, dementia, or terminal illnesses. As the | | | | daily living activities such as bathing, dressing, toilet |
| population ages, the number of home care agencies | | | | use, grooming and eating. |
| will continue to grow. | | | | - Companionship – From daily telephone calls from |
| We're living longer—and healthier—lives than | | | | a "buddy," to a daily "friendly" visitor, to |
| ever before in human history. However, if a time | | | | round-the-clock paid companions. |
| comes when help is needed, there are many | | | | - Home Health Care – Skilled care that can include |
| California agencies that can assist and help with home | | | | nursing; speech, occupational, physical, or respiratory |
| care/respite care needs. Because so many seniors | | | | therapy; home health aides, and social work or |
| wish to remain in the home and community that | | | | psychiatric care. |
| holds a lifetime of memories, a wide variety of home | | | | - Adult Day Care – Daily, facility-based programs |
| care services have evolved in recent years to make | | | | in a community center setting for seniors who need |
| this feasible. | | | | monitoring or companionship during the day. |
| What is home care? | | | | - Activity Groups – Games, trips, shopping |
| Home care typically refers to non-medical services | | | | outings, and other stimulating group activities. |
| that assist individuals with activities of daily living. | | | | - Respite Care - A trained companion or professional |
| Home care is an increasingly popular choice for care | | | | caregiver stays with your loved one and takes over |
| because it enables individuals to remain in their own | | | | your caregiving role, whether for several hours or |
| environments, and can also be a lifesaver for | | | | several days. These brief reprieves from a caregiving |
| caregivers. | | | | situation are healthy for the primary caregiver and |
| For example, simple tasks such as housekeeping, | | | | also for the care recipient…a change of daily routine |
| shopping, meal preparation, opening a jar, or driving | | | | for both. Respite care is a “short break” |
| to appointments can become increasingly difficult for | | | | therefore it is a stress releaser for the primary |
| many older adults. Personal tasks such as bathing, | | | | caregiver/family member. |
| dressing, grooming, toileting and even transferring | | | | - Live-in Help - Home care best suited to |
| from the bed to a chair can became unmanageable | | | | long-distance caregiving or other situations in which |
| alone. Many types of individuals, including those who | | | | the primary caregiver can't be there in person and |
| come trained and screened by an agency, provide | | | | the senior needs round-the-clock support. Room, |
| such services. In general, home care providers are | | | | board and, in many cases, a salary, is provided in |
| available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They | | | | exchange for meal preparation, light housekeeping, |
| may work by themselves or as a team on a shift, | | | | and other non-medical services. |
| part-time, hourly, live-in, or on an as-needed basis. | | | | - Hospice Care – Medical, social, and emotional |
| While some home care agencies provide | | | | services for the terminally ill and their families. |
| health-oriented services, it is important to understand | | | | Caregiver Support Groups – Support for issues |
| the difference between non-medical home care and | | | | about aging, peer companionship, illness-based |
| home health care. Home health care is more | | | | support, groups for caregivers, grief support and |
| specialized medical care, such as that provided by | | | | many others to help people experiencing life |
| nurses or physical and respiratory therapists. Care | | | | challenges with a family member.. |
| providers are trained medical, health care and | | | | In addition to consulting with your senior family |
| psychiatric professionals, or certified nurses' aides. | | | | member and any relevant medical or therapeutic |
| Home health services are usually ordered by a | | | | professionals, consider a "needs assessment," which |
| physician and may be covered by insurance. | | | | can be conducted by a care manager or home care |
| Types of services available for seniors living at home | | | | specialist—or you can do it yourself. |