Recovering In The Comfort Of Your Own Home

Beyond The Basics: 3 Services To Consider When Choosing In-Home Care

There are many options available when your loved one needs in-home care for short-term recovery or continuing care. Consider advanced services beyond personal care and routine medical services when making your decision.

Targeted Care

In-home care is more than basic medication or personal hygiene needs, a targeted approach can improve the level of care your loved one receives. Many in-home care agencies have different teams of professionals depending on the short or long-term needs of their clients. For example, if your loved one has Alzheimer's or dementia, you want a team of professionals who can offer specialized care to manage behavioral changes or times when your loved one is a fearful because they are confused.

Your loved one may also have complex medical conditions, such as diabetes or cancer, that require significant management. As a component of targeted care, many agencies offer behavioral health services. These services are beneficial even if your loved one does not have a history of mental illness, but may experience signs of depression due to changes in their health. A specialized in-home care team can identify signs of mental health problems and work with other professionals to develop a treatment approach.

Telemedicine

Many in-home care agencies are adding telemedicine to their arsenal of services to improve comprehensive care for their clients. Telemedicine allows them to offer care to more people in remote areas and continue to connect with doctors and support staff. If your loved one lives in a remote area where medical care can be difficult to access, you may want to choose an agency that works with area doctors and hospitals to provide remote care.

Telemedicine can help your an in-home care team keep track of vitals and other medical information to send to your loved one's doctor. The real-time medical information can be used to make decisions about changes in your loved one's medical condition or determine if they need to seek emergency treatment. Telemedicine also allows your loved one to access other types of treatment that may be difficult in remote locations. Counseling sessions or types of speech and occupational therapy can be performed remotely.

Respite Care

Many caregivers overlook in-home care as a resource for their occasional needs. Whether you are the caregiver of an aging parent or a child with special needs, many agencies have options for temporary in-home care to give you a break when needed.  Respite care can be an affordable option if the continuous cost of in-home care is a concern and you are the primary caregiver, or if you feel uncomfortable with someone else providing continuous support, but you need intermittent help.

When choosing an in-home health care service for your loved one, you may want to consider services beyond the basic personal care and medical services. Many agencies provide comprehensive services to address the unique needs of many medical situations.