Things you Should Know

Home care services offer incredible benefits and opportunities to individuals and their family members. When you are given a wonderful alternative to institutionalized care and the chance to stay at home with your loved ones, how could you not grab it right? However, in today’s day and age, you are usually presented with countless choices on home care agencies that make the task of choosing the right one, at times, too difficult to make. The following resources may provide you some necessary insight, as well as the much-needed answers to your questions about live in home care in Darien and the surrounding areas.

Call us for a free assessment today to get started with services for live in home care in Darien and the surrounding areas! Simply dial 1-800-578-4554. You may also send your inquiries to customerservice@sagehomecare.com.

Two Types of Home Care Agencies

There are two types of Home Care Agencies and they are determined by the inclusive services (skilled or non-skilled), the professionals who provide them, and the payment options available to the client. The two primary types of agencies are Medical Home Health Agencies, which provide skilled care, and Non-Medical Home Care Agencies, which facilitate mostly non-skilled care.

• Medical Home Health Agencies: Services provided by such agencies are ordered by a physician. These services include skilled nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy and medical social services. Home Health Agencies need to be licensed by the state as well. Payment for services can be coursed through 3rd party reimbursements such as Medicare, Medicaid, and other private health insurance plans.
• Non-Medical Home Care Agencies: These agencies offer supportive services that cover activities of daily living, homemaking, and companionship. A caregiver for an elderly loved one will help with bathing, toileting, preventing falls, minor housekeeping tasks, and transportation arrangements. Services are usually paid by the client out-of-pocket especially for essential home care tasks like personal care assistance, meal preparation, and companionship.

Home Care Benefits: Family Caregivers Can Have Respite
When one of our own loved ones fall ill or grow too old to care for themselves, without a doubt, family members will step up to become caregivers. Oftentimes, being the caregiver for an elderly loved one involves nonstop supervision and responsibilities. This causes family caregivers to feel overwhelmed or burned out in the long run. However, with Home Care, family caregivers can finally get respite because a professional caregiver will be watching over their loved one, take a break from caregiving duties, and have time for themselves. After taking a breather, going on a weekend holiday, or even getting a full night sleep, they can get back to caring for their loved one with more energy and a renewed sense of duty as their loved one’s caregiver. Home Care not only ensures that the client or the elderly individual is cared for, but it also extends its benefits to family caregivers by way of temporary respite.

Choosing a Quality Care Provider
You simply can’t choose a home care or home health agency off the bat. There are a lot of things to consider before you finally settle on a caregiver for elderly loved ones. See to it that the agency you’ve chosen directly hires their own staff, rather than hire independent contractors. Hiring independent contractors will often put the burden on the client when it comes to paying taxes, securing insurance, and making arrangements for worker’s compensation. However, if you choose a reputable agency with its own permanent staff, you have the assurance that compensation, taxes, and benefits are paid for by the agency and not you. Furthermore, an agency can also provide relief staff when the caregiver originally assigned gets sick or goes on leave.

Home Care Agencies Partnering with Hospice

Usually, hospice does not provide 24/7 care in the client’s home. To address the need for uninterrupted care, we turn to family members and professional caregivers to fulfill the client’s needs. Caregivers can also monitor the client’s health changes and report any significant developments to the family or the physician.

Home Care is Not Covered by Insurance

It is typical for Home Care to be paid for by clients using out-of-pocket funds or a reverse mortgage. Because home care is non-medical in nature, it is not covered by insurance. However, please note that if you have a long-term care insurance, some home care services may be covered. To be sure, check with your insurance provider to determine exactly which home care services are covered so you can make informed decisions when choosing your home care provider.