Where To Find The Best Home Health Care
Many American caregivers are uncertain how they will find the best home health care providers for their aging parents. There are independent workers, privately funded agency workers, nonprofit organization workers, government workers and immigrant workers, for example. There are all different types of services, ranging from cooking, cleaning and personal care to physical therapy, nursing services and wound dressing. Once the proper type of service is selected, there still might be a question of who will pay. Furthermore, one may wonder if government programs like Medicaid or Medicare might be able to assist them. This article covers the basics of government program eligibility and where to seek help.
Many people wonder if they can receive government assistance to cover some portion of the best home health care services. To qualify for Medicaid, a person must have a very low income and few assets. While eligibility requirements vary from state to state, Medicaid may cover basic home health care, medical equipment and services such as homemaking, personal care and other assistance not covered by Medicare. To qualify for Medicare, a person must be homebound, in need of medical attention, recommended by a doctor and be willing to work with a Medicare-approved agency. Medicare will only cover senior services like toilet use, dressing, bathing and personal care if there are medical needs as well. They will also cover home therapy (physical/mental/speech/emotional) and basic medical supplies like walkers, wheelchairs and gauze. For more information on these government-run programs, call 1-800-MEDICARE or visit www.medicare.gov.
In addition to government programs, there are many resources to help family caregivers find (and afford) the best home health care services. To locate local services and community resources for elderly parents, one can visit the government's "Eldercare Locator" at www.eldercare.gov/eldercare/public/home.asp or call the Agencies on Aging at 1-800-677-1116. To get ratings and assessments for local health agencies, families can visit the Home Health Care Compare run by Medicare at www.medicare.gov/hhcompare/home.asp. If transportation to doctor's appointments or stores is the main issue, then one may contact Lotsa Helping Hands at www.lotsahelpinghands.com. To provide nutritious, home-delivered meals to a loved one, visit Meals on Wheels at www.mowaa.org. The Alzheimer's Association also runs a specialized care-finder at www.alz.org/carefinder/index.asp. The National Adult Day Services Association provides adult day care service information online at www.nadsa.org or by phone at 1-800-558-5301.
The National Respite Locator Service helps family members find the best home health care services for particular geriatric care conditions. Alzheimer's, attention deficit disorder, autism, brain injury, chronic illness, dementia, developmental disabilities, emotional disturbances, epilepsy, frailty, hearing impairment, history of abuse/neglect, mental retardation, physical disabilities, speech disorders, stroke and visual impairments are among the afflictions included. For more information, visit www.respitelocator.org or call 919-490-5577. Finding specialized nursing services will ensure that seniors are adequately cared for and assisted medically, physically and emotionally.
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