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What is Home Care Assistance

Donna Nichols • October 9, 2020

Home Care Assistance – What Every Caregiver Needs to know.

Home care assistance is just that, assistance with care in your home.

Most home care assistants don’t provide any type of nursing, but depending on your loved one’s condition, a nurse may be what you need.

Home care assistants are there to help with bathing, cooking, feeding, dressing, and some will even run errands and provide transportation.

This can ease the mind of a working family member who has to work and cannot be home 24/7 to assist in their care.

There are many different types of home care assistance out there, and it depends on each circumstance as to which type is best for your situation.

If you need help in deciding which is the best assistance for you, schedule a FREE Consultation with one of our Compassionate Senior Advisors Today!

👉Personal care aide or senior companion.

These types of companions can usually be found on care.com, caring.com, or Angie’s list, this way you can see reviews and recommendations.

This is probably the safest way to find someone to stay with your loved one unless you know of someone personally who recommends a companion.

They can provide light housekeeping, transportation, meal preparation, and companionship.

👉A home health aide is needed should you require a little more assistance.

They can monitor their condition, check vital signs, and assist with bathing, and dressing. They also have to have a certain number of hours of federal training that must be met and they must be certified.

👉A licensed nursing assistant or certified nursing assistant.

They can observe and report changes, take vitals, set up medical equipment, change dressings, clean catheters, monitor infections, conduct range-of-motion exercises, help with walking assistance, and administer some treatments.

👉Licensed practical nurses.

They are licensed by the state and have met federal standards for health and safety. They can evaluate, manage, observe, and provide direct care that others cannot.

Examples are: administering IV drugs, tube feedings and shots, changing dressings, and diabetes care. Some are even trained in providing therapy.

👉Registered nurse.

They hold a nursing diploma or have an associate’s degree and have passed the National Council Licensure Exam. They provide direct care, administer medications, operate medical monitoring equipment, and assist doctors in procedures.

So, the level of declination of your loved one will tell which kind of home care assistance you will need.

How much is home care assistance?

The cost of home care assistance varies with the level of care needed.

Personal aides or companions charge anywhere from $12.00 – $17.00 per hour, they are not normally covered by insurance . Which means it is an out-of-pocket expense.

They set their own hourly rate.

Home health aides, licensed nursing assistants, and certified nursing assistants charge about the same as home companions and again are usually out-of-pocket expenses.

Some of them set their own rates as well unless working for a company.

Licensed practical nurses can earn more than the above aides and usually come to you from a doctor’s office.

Sometimes they have retired but kept their license active so they can provide a service to you on their terms. This is a great way for retired nurses to make extra income.

Registered nurses will come to you from a hospital or doctor’s office and they are usually always covered by Medicare, Medicaid, or your insurance.

You would need to check your specific policy to see what benefits are available. Again, sometimes registered nurses retire and keep their license up-to-date so they can assist clients as well.

If this is the case, they would NOT be covered by insurance.

How to qualify for home care assistance?

Once again, how you qualify depends on the level of assistance needed. If you live with a family member and they work and just want someone with you during the day, there is no qualification from you needed. Just make sure to do your research before leaving someone in the home with your loved one.

For more intensive care, you need to be under the care of a doctor who would write a referral for home health care assistance. You must also be homebound and unable to visit a doctor due to mobility issues.

What local agencies provide home care assistance?

There are many agencies around who provide home care assistance as well as private companions and caregivers.

They can be found on such websites as care.com, caring.com, and Angie’s list.

The websites will allow you to view reviews and references for the caregiver listed. Agencies will be registered with the state and follow certain guidelines, so you should be able to perform a google search on the specific company.

You could also give Assisted Living Made Simple a call at 386-847-2322 for a list of local companies and companions you may call to compare prices and services provided. This is a big decision, you don’t have to make it alone!!!

Make Valentine’s Day Special for Seniors

By Donna Nichols • February 5, 2025
Valentine’s Day tends to zero in on romantic love, but what about our seniors? They too often get forgotten. We have some ways to make Valentine’s Day special for them too. Spend the day with your loved one. Spending quality time with a loved one is more important to a senior than anything else. There is no greater gift than time and please make sure you have enough, so you are not rushed. Do your elderly loved one have a favorite meal? Perhaps you can prepare it for them, or if they are able, you can prepare it together. How fun would that be for you both? Be sure to discuss the enjoyment it brought you while you are sharing the meal together. How about a game of name that love song? You could prepare a playlist of love songs from the generation and play them to see how many they get correct. Or, if you can sing, you can sing some for them and see if they can recollect them. Take some time for reminiscing, go through old photo albums, or ask about old times. Ask them about when you were young and what trouble you caused; this will give you all something to laugh (or cry) about. Has your loved one been cooped up all winter? Take them out for a nice lunch, or weather permitting, a picnic in the park. Go for coffee and a donut, then head out to see a movie. Make a “date” of it. Maybe your senior is into crafts. You can design special Valentine’s Day cards for other family members. This way your senior can express their love for them and send it to them in their own unique way. You can create other greeting cards as well. Bake some special treats together. Does your senior have some favorite cookies or cake? You could bake it together, or you can bake it for them. Then you can enjoy it after you have the meal you prepared together. Yummy, delicious!! You can watch some romantic movies together if they prefer to stay in the house or the weather isn’t so good. If they like to color, you can buy them some of those large coloring books and you can color together. Don’t forget the decorations and the flowers! Make the house or apartment as festive as possible. Even if they live in as assisted living community, you can still decorate their room to the nines! Make it as festive as possible! If you live in another state or can’t be close to your senior for Valentine’s Day, how about sending them a specially crafted care package. You can hand make some gifts, add some photos of family and friends, and send a personally recorded message. You can bake some homemade treats and incorporate some things that are of personal interest to them. This will show how much you care for them and make their Valentine’s Day extra special even if you can’t be with them.  There are so many ways to make Valentine’s Day special for seniors. Let’s not forget about them; make sure to show them they are so loved too!

February is National Heart Month

By Donna Nichols • February 4, 2025
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Hydration Tips for the Winter

By Donna Nichols • January 8, 2025
I’ve written many blogs about the importance of staying hydrated in the summer, but did you know it’s just as important to stay hydrated in the winter months? I’ve shared some important tips on how to stay hydrated in the winter and why. Cold, dry air can dehydrate you easily and quickly. Even if you don’t feel thirsty. Proper hydration can help regulate your body temperature, maintain healthy organ function, and prevent fatigue, dry skin, and headaches. In the colder months, you do not feel thirsty, that’s why it’s so important to make sure you drink plenty of water. Why is winter hydration so important? Colder air tends to be drier causing moisture to evaporate through your breathing which can cause dehydration. In colder weather, you may not feel as thirsty, causing you to become dehydrated quickly. Also, wearing more clothing traps sweat inside your clothing causing more fluid loss. What are some of the benefits of staying hydrated in the winter? • Drinking enough water helps keep your skin hydrated and prevents dryness. This will help with that dry, itchy skin feeling we all get in the winter. • Water helps your body maintain a regular core temperature. Which is so important to maintain in the winter. • Drinking plenty of water supports your immune system, which helps fight off winter colds and the flu. We all want to fight those germs off! • When you are dehydrated, you become tired easily, so drinking plenty of water helps keep your energy levels up. How do you stay hydrated in the winter? • Make sure you drink plenty of water. Set reminders if you must; you probably won’t feel as thirsty in the winter, but you need to keep drinking that water! • You don’t have to drink cold water; room temperature water works. You can also drink tea or water with lemon, as long as you’re getting your water. • If you’re going out, carry a water bottle with you to ensure you have water to drink. • Eat fruits and vegetables that contain water. Tomatoes, lettuce, strawberries, watermelon, cauliflower, mushrooms, cucumber, apples, and pineapple are just a few that contain high water contents. • If you think you’re dehydrated, check your urine; if it’s a darker color, that can suggest dehydration. Urine should be a pale, yellow color. As you can see, staying hydrated in the winter is just as important as staying hydrated in the summer, if not more. In the winter you don’t realize you are thirsty therefore you tend not to drink as much water as you should. This has the potential of wreaking havoc on your body. Please make sure you drink plenty of water in the wintertime as you do in the summertime. We have rebranded our company, we are now Assisted Senior Services! Call us for ANYTHING SENIOR!! 386-847-2322!
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