Home Care

There's No Place Like Home

Good news: today there are more options than ever for seniors who are starting to find daily living more challenging. No longer does such a circumstance mean one must leave their home to find help. Today the help can come to them — in their own home. And, as an added benefit, home care is a more cost-effective alternative to hospital care or other institutional care. Perhaps that’s why, increasingly, older people are choosing to live independent lives and take advantage of home care services.

With home care service, the person in need receives health care or personal care services in their home with the assistance of a home care agency. Services are available to people of all ages, and the frequency of visits can depend on the need: daily, weekly, monthly, or even hourly up to 24-hours a day. Services can include medical and non-medical care such as assistance with shopping, laundry, meals, and companionship.

Features of Home Care

Home care agencies provide a variety of services for seniors, far too many to list here, but some services include:

• In-home health care, (checkups, wellness visits, physical therapy)
• Help with the activities of daily living (eating, bathing, grooming)
• Housekeeping services
• Laundry services
• Dressing assistance
• Meal provision
• Errand running
• Grocery shopping
• Transportation ervices

Financial Matters

Medicare and Medicaid may cover the cost of senior home health services when certain criteria are met. However, non-medical home care services, as outlined above usually require private pay only.

For patients who are participating in Medicare Advantage plans, senior home medical care may require a deductible or co-pay. For more in-depth information about Medicare visit www.medicare.gov.

To get an accurate estimate of the cost of particular senior home care and in-home senior services, contact the services listed on AlternativesforSeniors.com and inquire. A friendly associate will gladly assist you.

Other types of senior care exist in addition to home care. For seniors who may need a higher level of care, there are independent living options, such as senior apartments and adult day care centers; assisted living facilities, such as residential care, continuing care communities, nursing and rehab centers; hospice care; and care for patients with Alzheimer's disease or dementia.

Browse Home Care by City