In Home Elderly Care Can Assist a Senior Saving
As seniors begin to age, they often have to talk with their loved ones to make the difficult decision about going to a nursing home or staying in their home. More often these days, seniors and their family are opting to have seniors remain at home with the assistance of an in-home elderly care service.
Finding an In-Home Care Specialist
PACE, which stands for: Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly, is a benefit provided by Medicare and Medicaid. The service is for elderly people who meet their state’s requirements for nursing home care. PACE provides medical and social services similar to what would be received at a nursing home. One of the benefits of PACE is that the costs are minimized and the senior is able to remain in the comfort of his own home while receiving necessary care.
Video: Quality Elder Care at Less Cost
The Department of Elderly Affairs for the Senior Citizens Office can help you find local companies who offer services for seniors. You can visit their site at ElderlyCare.gov to find services in your area.
The Family Caregiver Alliance has listings of caregiver support programs in all 50 states. Use this site to locate elderly care giving services in your area.
What’s the Cost?
The cost of in-home care depends on the program you choose. According to a USAToday.com article, the average home health aid costs $19 per hour. Compared to the average cost of a semiprivate nursing home, which is $67,000, in-home care can be a lot cheaper, depending on the number of hours used per week.
Geriatric care is more in-depth and also more expensive at $150 to $200 per hour. You can often meet with a geriatric care manager to find out whether you need geriatric care.
Video: Elder Care - Safety in the Home
In-Home Care Risks
There are people out there who use a job as an in-home aid to take advantage of the elderly. Not all states regulate home elderly care. So, it’s up to the senior and their family members to do the necessary background checks and interviews to hire the best workers. Otherwise, seniors are at risk for identity theft, fraud, and other crimes.
The quality of care provided varies among home care aids. It’s important to review what services will and will not be provided.
Full-Time Live-Ins
A staff member may live in with an elderly loved one, but the cost will be higher than if an aid visited the home for several hours a day. In fact, the cost could exceed that of placing the senior in a nursing home or assisted living facility.
Licensing and Certification
Not all states have licensing for in-home care. Hiring someone affiliated with a Medicaid-sponsored in-home care program can give you more peace of mind about the person you hire.
The National Association for Home Care and Hospice has a voluntary certification for home care aids. The certification requires aids to take a 75-hour course, show competency in 17 different skills, and pass a written exam.
Services That Are Covered
Services of in-home care include but are certainly not limited to:
- meals
- personal care
- light housekeeping including dishwashing and laundry.
- transportation
- respite care
- emergency response systems
If you need additional services, you can ask whether your in-home aid is able to provide them and at what cost.