Everything You Wanted to Know About Home Care But Were Afraid to Ask

A senior tsunami is on its way. Since the year 2000 the national population of those 60 years old and older has grown by 11% It is estimated that by the year 2015 the 85+ population will increase by 65%

And to the majority of seniors there is nothing sweeter then home. Statistics show that most seniors want to remain in their home close to family and friends. Be it that they are living alone or with family, a change in their physical or mental condition, whether sudden or gradual over time may make it necessary for them to receive assistance with the activities of daily living.

So they want to stay home but they need some level of care, what do you do? The answer would be to consider the services of a home care agency.

What do you look for when considering a home care agency?

An agency should be licensed. It is required in most states. Accreditation by a nationally recognized accrediting body such as the Community Health Accreditation Program (CHAP) is extremely important.

The agency should be able to assist you by referring fellow professionals such as Elder Care Attorneys, Social Workers or Geriatric Care Managers should the need arise. This is something you long distance family members should consider.

Look for an agency that has been servicing the community for a substantial amount of time.One that has a thorough application process and that trains their own employees. One that adheres to strict written personnel policies, has nurses on staff to evaluate the patients care and communicates with the family and patient's physician about that care. Are available 24 hours a day seven days a week.

Now the all-important question-who pays for the services?

Although most Americans over the age of 65 are eligible for Medicare they must be homebound, under a physicians care and require nursing or therapy services in order to receive home health services. This usually occurs after a person has been hospitalized. In most cases the hours will be short and not on a long-term basis. An established agency contracts with all the hospital based Certified home health agencies in their areas of service and will be on a list provided by the discharge planner.

For those needing care on a long term basis there is Medicaid, provided they are financially eligible. In order to meet those requirements you may need to enlist the help of an Elder Care Attorney or Medicaid Specialist. A reputable agency should be able to refer you to one.

Most health insurance policies do not pay for what is known as custodial care. For that you would have to have purchased a Long Term insurance policy that had been set up to ensure you can get the care you need in the home. Look for an agency that verify your coverage and has experience working with insurance companies. It is important that they(the agency) be willing to provide the proper paperwork to help ensure payment of services.

In all other instances the family must pay out of pocket. Again, a reputable home care agency should inform you of their rates for all the services they provide, make it clear how they intend to bill and how much of a deposit they required and how it is applied. It also helps if they accept credit cards.

Having this information will enable you to ask the pertinent questions of the home care agency and more importantly the person you are speaking to should be able to answer them. This will help ensure you make the best choice for yourself or your loved one.

Gloria Stanziola
Community Ambassador
Personal Touch Home Care Services