Many older adults wish to age in place in the comfort of home; however, when assistance is needed, shopping for in-home care can be a bit overwhelming to choose the best home care for senior loved ones. Knowing what type of care your loved one needs and what to look for in a home health care agency will produce a more informed decision for your loved one’s care. The following are the top five things you need to know when shopping for Boca Raton area home care services.

1. Is there a difference between home care and home health care? Yes. Home care is often referred to as private duty care or private pay services, (sometimes also called personal care or companion care) as these services are paid for by the individual receiving care, whether out of pocket from personal savings or from insurance or reimbursement from a Veterans’ program. Services often included with home care for seniors are mostly “non-medical” services and can range from companionship to housekeeping, transportation, personal care, dementia care to 24-hour or respite care. Home health care always has a “skilled nursing care” component and involves certain other health care services one receives in a home setting for the treatment of a condition, illness or injury. The care is based on that condition, illness or injury getting better with the care being provided. Thus, home care also covers those situations where the care is ongoing and the condition or illness is chronic and does not improve over time.
2. Is my loved one eligible for Florida home care? Anyone is eligible for home care services for which one privately pays a fee. Eligibility does come into play, however, if you are looking for help paying for care from any source other than private funds. Elder law attorneys and estate planners can be very helpful when planning for the payment of long-term care. Most states have Area Agencies on Aging that also provide help understanding eligibility for community based services.
3. What about Medicare? It is a common misconception that Medicare will pay for long-term care needs, when in fact the opposite is true. Medicare is health insurance coverage provided by the United States government for people over age 65 that covers skilled medical care; it does not customarily cover assistance associated with home care for seniors, like daily living activities such as bathing, dressing and grooming. Some benefits may be available for short-term home health care, but only if certain conditions are met.
4. How can I pay for home care? There are multiple ways to fund in-home care, including retirement savings such as pensions and life insurance policies or long-term care insurance. Some states offer a home care allowance through their Department of Social Services, and there may be other organizations within your state that offer assistance. Talk to a financial advisor and any of the Boca Raton home health agencies in your area to come up with a solid plan for affording home care for senior loved ones in your life.
5. Should I hire an independent caregiver from the newspaper or a friend’s referral or go with a professional Boca home care agency? It’s your choice; however, nurse registries and private hires come with some hidden risks. When working with registries or hiring a caregiver on your own, the responsibility of managing and supervising the worker falls on the patient, a family member, or a family advisor. Government mandated taxes and workers’ compensation coverage usually fall on the consumer and oftentimes the workers are not trained. Full service home care agencies provide care by employees of the agency who are screened, trained, monitored and usually bonded and insured. There is far more safety in this model, and far less potential liability for the care recipient than with a nurse registry or private hire.

Shopping for Boca Raton home health agencies can be overwhelming, but it’s important to ask questions and understand the choices in order to make the best care decision for your loved one. If you are beginning the process of searching for Boca Raton home care, contact Aker Kasten Home Health Care. We’d love to tell you about our home care services and can also give you a list of recommended questions to ask when interviewing other home health care agencies.