Vigorous and independent or ill and frail, the elderly deserve to be treated with respect. They also deserve the opportunity to live out the rest of their lives in a dignified manner and in the comfort of their homes, if circumstances will allow it. That is typically where the professional providers of homecare in Marina del Rey come in.
Nationwide, statewide and across the community of Marina del Rey, there is a fast-growing demand for all types of home care services, that is, both health care and non-health or non-medical home care services. But how exactly does home health care differ from non-health home care?
What is home care?
As a general term, home care refers to the support an ill or elderly person requires in order to safely live in their own home instead of a specialized institution. Home care is the umbrella term which encompasses medical services, i.e., health care, and assistance with daily routines, i.e., non-health care which a patient/care recipient receives at home.
Unlike home health care services which can only be provided by licensed healthcare professionals, the focus of non-health home care is to provide help and support to the patient in all other aspects of life.
Caregivers who provide non-health home care are not required to have any specific qualifications or licenses. In order to be referred by specialized caregiver referral agencies, they typically undergo extensive background checks.
The largest segment of individuals within the field of home care consists of caregivers who are non-medical personnel. Because of the prevalent need for non-health home care as opposed to home health care and the constantly growing number of non-health home care providers, the term home care is frequently used to refer to these services.
What does home health involve?
Home health services include various services that skilled and licensed healthcare professionals provide to patients living at home. All these services can be paid for by various forms of insurance (long-term insurance, Medicare or Medicaid) or with the patient’s or their family’s resources.
What is included in non-health home care?
Non-health home care includes various life-assistance services which can be subdivided into two groups: Activities of Daily Living and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living.
ADLs include personal care activities such as:
- Walking and transferring,
- Getting dressed,
- Maintaining personal hygiene,
- Using the toilet and dealing with incontinence issues,
- Eating.
IADLs include activities needed for an elderly person to function on their own and live independently within their community, for instance:
- Light housework and plant maintenance,
- Going for walks and performing recreational activities,
- Grocery shopping and running similar errands,
- Meal preparation,
- Going to the pharmacy and doctor appointments,
- Taking medication and following doctor’s orders,
- Correspondence and communication,
- Transportation,
- Managing money.
We’re here to put your mind at ease
Competent and compassionate homecare in Marina del Rey could be the answer to your prayers. Would you like to hire a companion to take your elderly loved one for a stroll through Burton Chace Park every once in a while? Someone to help your dad keep track of his medication or serve him a home-cooked meal? A dependable, responsible individual to give your mom a ride to the doctor’s office or help her around the house?
Delegate your own caregiving responsibilities to experienced professionals in the field of home care and put your mind at ease. Call today to set up your first appointment!
