Medicare Eligibility - Home Care Services

 

Home care services refer to professional caregivers who come into your home to assist with the daily activities of daily living. These professionals are trained and licensed to provide a wide range of services. They are not trained in all areas and they may not possess all the skills needed to meet your specific needs. As such, it is important that you make sure you choose the most appropriate home care services for your loved one.

For many seniors, personal care home care services are provided by licensed practical nurses (LPNs). Licensed LPNs are not nurses; rather they are registered vocational nurses who have at least a two-year certification and who have passed a training course that is approved by the state board. To be accepted, a nurse must pass the state board's examination and then pass a second, more strenuous test. Once a nurse is licensed, he or she can provide home care services under the supervision of a physician.

There are many different types of services provided by licensed practical nurses (LPNs). Most commonly, they provide routine personal care, such as bathing, feeding, or exercising the senior in the home. In addition, they also provide long-term care services for those who are unable to care for themselves in their homes due to physical disabilities or age. These patients typically require nursing home care. Depending on the type of service the LPN provides, he or she may work directly with the patient, administer various tasks, or communicate with other caregivers or family members. Some LPNs also specialize in either drug abuse rehabilitation weight management, speech therapy, or geriatric care.

If your loved one requires more than just nursing home care but also assistance with his or her everyday activities, there are also home care services available for this condition. Examples include walking, taking baths, grooming, and exercising. If you need your loved one to be able to cook and bathe on his or her own, a maid service may be the best solution for your situation. If your loved one needs to be encouraged to participate in his or her hobbies and interests, a companion program might work well. The type of assistance provided depends on the level of disability, your loved one has as well as your caregiver's individual requirements.

There are many factors that go into determining the cost of home care services for the elderly. One such factor is the severity of the illness or condition of the patient. If the illness is serious enough that a hospital stay is required, the costs will increase dramatically. Also, if the condition causes incontinence, the costs will also be greater because incontinence products require more replacement than a person who is able to walk or stand normally.

Another factor that goes into costing the home care services is whether or not the illness affects the person's ability to perform daily activities on his or her own. For example, if a person requires 24-hour intravenous therapy and the medication must be administered intravenously, the costs will be much higher than if the same medications can be taken orally. Another example is that some patients require physiotherapy or physical therapy, which can increase the bill significantly.

Finally, it's important to determine the extent to which the elderly person's illness limits their ability to do the things he or she is capable of doing. Some illnesses prevent people from performing the same activities they are used to performing. In fact, their memory and cognitive abilities could become so poor that they find it difficult to even dress themselves or perform basic day-to-day tasks. This is known as a disabling illness. For this reason, home health aide caregivers are not generally allowed to administer medications unless they are under the supervision of a physician or a licensed nurse. However, if a person does require medications, then they may want to consider an assisted living home health aide, such as in home care services for Alzheimer's disease, dementia, diabetes or substance abuse.

Medicare reimbursing home care services is based on a sliding scale known as an asset rating. Assessments are done on a yearly basis, with each level representing the greatest risk of a caregiver's inability to cover expenses. The highest asset rating is reserved for the "most severely disabling." If you are looking for a caregiver, your best bet is to find one who has the best asset rating possible, since this means that he or she will be the best caregiver for your loved one.