Aging in place is the process of growing old in the comfort of your own home for as long as possible, rather than living in a retirement community or long-term care facility. Aging in place is feasible for seniors who need minimal assistance with daily activities, have friends and family nearby, and can take advantage of the right home care services. There are countless home health care services that seniors can receive at home, from home nursing care to specialized medical services.
Health Care
Trained medical professionals such as occupational therapists, social workers, and home health nurses can provide at-home health care services. Depending on your health insurance policy, some health care services are covered while others may incur out-of-pocket costs. Seniors can receive home health care from doctors who can diagnose and treat medical illnesses at home. They can receive nursing care from a registered nurse who consults with their primary doctor to determine a plan of care. Home nursing care includes wound dressing, intravenous therapy, medication administration, pain control, and monitoring the patient’s overall health. Seniors who need help relearning how to do daily tasks or improving speech or mobility following an illness or injury can receive home health care from physical, occupational, and speech therapists.
Rather than trekking to the doctor’s office to undergo diagnostic tests and routine blood tests, patients can take advantage of a home phlebotomy service. Advanced Comprehensive Laboratory LLC DBA TopLab offers home blood draw services for healthcare providers, businesses, and patients. Their mobile phlebotomy service covers drug testing, routine lab tests, and routine blood tests. Home blood draw and mobile phlebotomy are ideal for those who are home-bound, without transportation, or unable to leave home or those who prefer the convenience of lab tests from the comfort of their own home.
Personal Care
Home health aides provide personal care services that help patients with daily tasks. Depending on the patient’s needs, home health aides work a few hours a day or live-in to provide full-time care. Personal care assistance includes help with basic personal needs such as getting out of bed, walking, bathing, dressing, and meal preparation. Dieticians can provide nutritional support and dietary assessments at a patient’s home in support of their medical treatment plan.
Maintaining a sense of independence while aging is important for many seniors. The professional, multilingual caregivers at Belleville Senior Services have years of experience providing supportive senior care with compassion. Their senior living medical service is free for members upon enrollment and includes door-to-door transportation, nutrition and exercise, entertainment, and medical and nursing services. The day care center accepts all Medicaid Managed Care insurance plans and works with insurance providers to coordinate billing.
Basic Assistance Care
Basic assistance care services help seniors go about daily tasks. Homemakers can assist patients who are receiving at-home medical care with chores, housekeeping, and errands. Patients who live alone can benefit from a companion who provides comfort and supervision, as well as help with household tasks. Volunteers from community organizations provide companionship, help with personal care, transportation, and emotional support. Many older adults lack reliable transportation or have chosen to give up driving. Senior transportation services can help retain independence while ensuring patients get to their destinations safely and reliably.
When deciding which home care services and providers are the best fit for your needs, it’s important to do your research. Seek referrals from friends and family, and talk to your insurance provider to determine which costs are covered and which aren’t. Full-service home health agencies are more expensive but work with prescreened health care professionals who have undergone background checks. Full-service care providers are bonded for issues such as theft, and should a caregiver quit, not work out, or become sick, a replacement will be found quickly. Independent providers are less expensive, but it’s up to you to vet them and find a replacement should the caregiver quit, not work out, or become sick.