Caring for relatives and friends who are elderly or unwell is never easy, but fortunately, there are many great options to facilitate this task. In New York, home health providers can help patients to stay in their own homes instead of going into a nursing home.
Aside from helping with daily tasks and making the environment safe, such organizations also offer companion care and assist you when planning and coordinating the different services needed. Let’s look at some of the duties performed by home health companies.
What Duties Are Performed by Home Health Providers in New York?
1. Comprehensive Elder Care Planning
Before you make any decisions about the care of your elderly loved one, it’s important to come up with a solid plan. A service like Parent Care can help you to take all of the relevant factors into consideration, so you make the best decisions possible. In addition to the wishes of the elderly person involved, you will also need to consider how the new care plan might impact your life and what the financial implications are.
By consulting with a professional in elder care, you can research the best solutions, make a solid financial plan, enroll in Medicaid, and navigate the complex world of insurance. Your provider will help to take the stress out of the situation and come up with innovative options. For example, many elderly people prefer to stay at home, so your plan is likely to include home health solutions.
2. Help with Daily Tasks
If you’ve decided to keep your loved one at home, you’ll be working together with a home health aide to keep them safe and well cared for every day. Such a caregiver might come once or twice a day to help your friend or relative complete daily tasks such as bathing, grooming, getting dressed, and toileting. They will also help the elderly person to move around in the home, for example by transferring them from the bed to the sofa.
Because everyone’s situation is different, our qualified home health aides will take stock of the patient’s needs and tailor the service to their individual requirements. If circumstances change over time, the nature and level of assistance can be adjusted accordingly.
3. Ensure Your Loved One’s Safety
Aside from assisting the patient with the most essential daily tasks, your health aide will also assess the home of the patient to make sure that it is as safe as possible. They might suggest certain alterations, such as rails, anti-slip devices, or even a chair in the bath, that could make the daily routine easier and less dangerous.
Another major factor is the medication your friend or relative takes. As patients grow older, they might have more trouble remembering which pills to take at what time of day, so the home health aide can help by reminding them and preparing the correct medication in the correct dosage. This can help to keep your loved one in the best condition possible and prevent severe health issues.
4. Help with Outings
Sometimes, going out might be unavoidable, for example, if the patient has a doctor’s appointment. At other times, they might simply want to complete errands like visiting the hairdresser or purchasing something particular. It’s important to us at Parent Care that your loved one can still do such tasks in person, so the home health aide might accompany them and assist them during their outings.
In many areas of New York, it’s now easy to have groceries delivered, which we can set up for the patient. However, home health providers can also purchase them directly and bring them to the elderly person’s house.
5. Companion Care
Sometimes, the family and friends of a patient aren’t able to visit as regularly as they would like, and the elderly person is alone for long stretches of time. In such a situation, companion care could be the perfect solution. This type of service is appropriate for medically stable patients who might need some help around the house but are mainly looking for someone to socialize with and talk to.
The aide will visit your lonely friend or relative and spend time with them in whatever way is more appropriate. A visit could include completing some household chores, playing cards, reading out loud, or going on an outing. The caregiver will also make sure that the patient’s home is safe, that they are taking their medications correctly, and that they are connected to their local community.
6. Hospice Care
Hospice care involves accompanying someone as they approach the end of their life. It can help your loved one to feel comfortable and peaceful in their own home. All the normal services provided by a home health aide will be included, plus the help of additional team members who specialize in end-of-life services.
Your hospice care team might consist of your regular home health aide, nurses, social workers, chaplains, and even volunteers, who can all help your loved one to maintain their dignity and quality of life until the end. Most people qualify for this service when the medical prognosis is six months or less, although the exact duration of hospice care will depend on your loved one’s individual situation.
7. Coordination of Care
It can be hard to stay on top of your friend or family member’s various care appointments and services, so having them coordinated by your home health professionals can be a great relief. The aim of care coordination is to assess the patient’s needs and then make an organized, easy-to-follow plan that allows for the most effective care.
Over time, your coordinator will get to know your loved one and understand their individual situation, preferences, and resources. They can then organize the necessary care in advance and communicate clearly with the care team. Such a service will take a lot of pressure off you, and the patient will feel optimally supported.
8. Pediatric Home Health
Sometimes, care is necessary for young people as well as elderly ones. We at Parent Care believe that keeping your child at home with you is crucial, as they will be most likely to thrive in their familiar home environment. If they are very unwell and need regular care, we can create a customized plan and allow them to receive an optimal level of assistance.
Some of the services we offer children are physical therapy, speech therapy, nursing, and home health aide visits. It can be very challenging to raise a child with medical issues, so getting the appropriate help is crucial for success. If your child has a chronic or very severe illness, they are likely to qualify for this program. You can get in touch with us to double-check and find out what kind of assistance we will provide your family.
When thinking about what type of care to offer to your elderly or unwell loved one, you should strongly consider home health providers. The level of care they offer rivals that in hospitals and nursing homes, but your friend or relative can remain in their own home. Contact us today at Parent Care in New York to find out more and take advantage of our great programs and services. We will be more than happy to assist you with elderly or pediatric care.
