The type of care one needs will depend on their health, abilities, and sometimes, budget.

Types of Senior Home Care

Under the umbrella of Senior Home Care, there are several different types of assistance and different roles of those who deliver these services. The type of care one needs will depend on their health, abilities, and sometimes, budget.

Companion care services, personal care assistance, and home health care are three common types of Senior Home Care. Keep in mind that as the client’s needs change, they may transition from one type of Senior Home Care to another.

Companion Care Services

Companion care services are ideal for seniors who live independently and do not need much assistance with their activities of daily living. Those in need of companion care services oftentimes live alone and feel isolated in their day-to-day lives. The aide provides some much-needed social support.

A Senior Home Care aide providing companion care may simply spend time with the client and engage with them, read to them, participate in the client’s hobbies such as board games or walking, or provide supervision. An elder companion may also provide transportation services and assist in medication management. Though typically companion care aides are not certified to administer medications or otherwise provide any type of medical care.

Companion care services are also a good option for those in the early stages of memory impairment who do not yet need much assistance, but who may not be able to be left alone. These clients may live with family members who cannot be with their loved one full-time due to work or other obligations.

Personal Care Assistance

Personal care assistance is ideal for seniors who need regular help with their activities of daily living. Personal care assistants can provide a broad range of services, including help bathing and toileting, grocery shopping, and mobility assistance to prevent falls.

These aides may not provide any medical care beyond medication management. This type of Senior Home Care is comparable to the services residents receive in assisted living communities. So personal care assistants can certainly provide help to make the client’s life easier and safer. But it is not suited for those with regular medical needs.

Many families providing caregiving services for a loved one seek personal care assistance to perform the tasks that they are unable to safely or comfortably perform for their loved ones. For example, a wife who cannot safely support the weight of her husband who needs help getting out of chairs and their bed may hire a Senior Home Care aide to help with her husband’s transfer. Personal care aides can also be used as respite if a family caregiver needs to travel or knows that they will be out of the home all day.

Home Health Care

Home health care differs from the other types of Senior Home Care in that home health care aides carry certification to provide medical assistance. Unlike standard Senior Home Care, which a senior or their family can seek out when they feel the time is right for them, home health care is typically recommended by a physician and may require a doctor’s written order to have the services covered by insurance.

Seniors who require frequent medical services, such as injections or infusions, can work with a home health care provider on a regular basis. Others may seek home health care on a short-term or as-needed basis, such as when recovering from an injury or surgery.

The range of services that one can receive from a home health aide is similar to what one would receive in a nursing home. Wound care, IV insertion, and occupational and physical therapy are all available with a home health care aide. Unlike companion care aides and personal care assistance, home health aides must have specialized training and certification, such as a nursing certificate, in order to perform these services. Those who have the proper certifications can even administer skilled nursing care in clients’ homes.

Senior Home Care and Home Health Care Services

Senior Home Care encompasses a wide range of services, which expands even further with home health care. Below, you can see the many possible Senior Home Care and home health care services.

The services each individual client receives will depend on their needs and preferences and, sometimes, the ability of the caregiver. It’s important to always ensure that the hired caregiver is capable of providing the necessary care before establishing a contract with them.

Available Senior Home Care Services

•      Housekeeping, including cleaning, washing dishes, and laundry

•        Medication management and reminders

•        Meal preparation and grocery shopping

•        Companionship

•        Transportation

•        Transferring and other forms of mobility assistance

•        Assistance with activities of daily living like bathing, dressing, eating, & toileting

•        Cognitive stimulation, including conversation, reading aloud, & playing brain games

•        Supervision, especially for those in early stages of memory impairment

•        Respite for caregivers