As our population ages more and more seniors living at home alone find that they may need some help.
Home Care agencies offer a wide range of services to people requiring assistance. While the majority of people requiring home care may be seniors this is not always the case, many younger, chronically ill, and infirmed individuals require home care services as well.
Home Care services offered by Home Care agencies are as widely varied as the needs of the clients themselves. While some individuals may be able enough to care for themselves they may not be able to care for their environment. Home care agencies offer certified homemakers. Certified homemakers are able to perform duties such as: wet mopping and dry mopping the floors, vacuuming, dusting, light meal preparation, doing the dishes, doing laundry and even running errands in the community such as grocery shopping. The difference between a certified homemaker that works for Home Care agency and a maid service is that the certified homemaker is providing services for an individual not physically capable of performing those duties for themselves. In the home care scenario while the certified homemaker may be performing only environmental functions the focus is always on the client and their wellness.
In other situations individuals may not only require homemaking services but may also require assistance with their personal care. Personal care is defined as assistance with bathing, feeding, dressing, ambulation, and even range of motion exercises. In the state of Rhode Island any personal care delivered to an individual requires a nursing assistant certified by the Rhode Island Department of Health. So putting it simply a certified nursing assistant may perform homemaking duties as well as personal care but a certified homemaker may never provide personal care.
Another level of Home Care services is called skilled nursing care. Skilled nursing care is a situation in which the individual requires services that must be put performed by a registered nurse. These services would include but not be limited to medication management, wound care, dressing changes, physical speech or occupational therapy and even IV therapy. Most recipients of skilled nursing care have been recently discharged from a hospital or skilled nursing facility. Skilled nursing services can shorten an individual’s hospital stay or serve as an alternative to nursing home care.
Nick Passarelli is a Registered Nurse, a Licensed Nursing Home Administrator and a Certified Integrated Chronic Care Coordinator with over 37 years experience as a Long-Term Care Professional. He is the owner of Phenix and Coventry home care and the Capitol Home Care Network.
