There was a time when your parents provided you with a loving and secure home. Now you see yourself as the one who needs to secure the same environment for them. This task might seem impossible. The good news is that finding the best home care agency isn’t an impossible task. Follow these steps so you’ll find the right elderly care for those you love the most. With a little research, you can find them the help they need to feel secure and loved as well.
How to Find the Best Home Care Agency:
The good news is that the healthcare industry has plenty of reputable elderly care providers for you to choose from. But before you go inside to talk to them, you and your parent need to do some homework. Here are your first steps:
Assess Your Parent’s Current Needs:
You and your parent should have an accurate assessment of what they can currently do by themselves. These assessments cover two categories called Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) and Activities of Daily Living (ADL.)
IADL tasks are those activities that are considered routine chores that an adult performs every day. These tasks range from driving a car to grocery shopping. Other IADL tasks include:
- Cooking a Meal
- Paying bills or managing finances or
- Cleaning their home
ADL activities are everyday personal hygiene tasks. Examples of these tasks include:
- Dressing
- Bathing and showering or
- Getting to and using the toilet
When you have an accurate assessment of these current abilities, you’ll be better prepared to decide if certain health care agencies provide the services your parent needs.
Evaluate Costs:
Your next step is to evaluate your parent’s current financial situation and the costs they’ll incur for these services. There are some government subsidies that will help pay for these costs associated with aging.
The Medicare Health Insurance program provides entitlement benefits to seniors to help cover the costs involved with caring for an aging parent. Medicare can cover costs ranging from home health aide expenses to nursing home costs.
Contact the Areas Agencies on Aging Network:
The Areas Agencies on Aging (AAAs) is a network of more than 600 nationwide associations that provide elderly care services within a local jurisdiction. Area Agencies on Aging provide referrals and resources on services ranging from home health aides to home-delivered meals.
Interview Caregivers:
Visit these agencies and ask them how they screen their caregivers. You can also ask whether their agency’s home health aides have other special skills. These skills can range from languages spoken to special training to assist Holocaust survivors.
What Are Your Next Steps?
If you’re ready to find the best home care agency for your loved one, you can start today. When you have an accurate assessment of their ADL and IADL abilities, contact your local Area Agency on Aging. Ask them for referrals to those local agencies that can help support those tasks where your parent needs help the most.
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