There are plenty of things to consider when hiring an elderly home care services in Illinois or anywhere in Chicago. Of course you have to consider the credentials of the agency that you will be hiring as well as the training and monitoring that they have for their caregivers. You also have to factor in the list of activities that your aging mother needs help with and the cost of caregiving services.
Aside from the factors stated above, don’t forget to consider whether your loved ones need medical or non-medical home care. What is the difference between the two? Find out below before hiring an elderly home care agency.
WHAT IS MEDICAL HOME CARE SERVICES?
Medical home care services are caregiving services given to older people who have extensive medical needs but wishes to stay in the comfort of their own homes. If you hire an agency to perform medical home care services for your loved one, a medical practitioner or registered health professional will attend to your aging mother’s medical needs. These professionals were trained to obtain the skills and knowledge needed to perform medical-oriented care. They can perform medical services such as dialysis, therapeutic treatments, and nursing services.
There are instances when medical home care caregivers can also provide other services that are not medical-oriented. They can bathe your loved one, cook meals for her, clean her house, and even provide transportation when needed too. Although, that is not always the case; some medical home care agencies stick to medical-oriented services only and do not offer services that do not fall under that category.
WHAT IS NON-MEDICAL HOME CARE SERVICES?
Unlike medical home care services, non-medical home care services are assistance offered to elderly people that can be provided by non-certified health professionals. Instead of providing technical medical care, non-medical home care caregivers provide services varying from personal care to providing transportation for your loved one. Depending on what your aging mother needs, the caregiver can assist her with bathing, clean the house, accompany her to appointments, and even do grocery shopping with your mom. You can tailor the services that your elderly parent will receive based on her needs as long as it does not include medical care.
WHICH IS BETTER BETWEEN THE TWO?
Medical and non-medical home care services can both be helpful for different reasons. Because of this, it’s difficult to compare them since they both fulfill different purposes. When deciding which service would fit your loved one best, assess her needs; if she needs medical care, then you should avail the former. On the other hand, if the assistance that your aging mother needs is help with personal care or services that are not medical-oriented, then you should pay for the latter. The problem is if your loved one needs both medical and non-medical home care services. In this case, make sure to contact an agency that can provide both assistance and discuss the services that you want to be rendered. This way, your aging mother can get the help that she needs, may it be medical or not.
Make sure that you understand the difference between medical and non-medical home care services before hiring a caregiver. In fact, include the assessment of your loved one’s medical and non-medical needs before choosing a home care agency. This will help avoid choosing the wrong agency and future misunderstandings.
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