What is Home Care?

December 27, 2018

Healthy Living

Home care is rooted in the principle that older adults should be free to age at home with the level of care they need to be safe and comfortable. To that end, most home care providers work hard to ensure that their clients are able to live as independently as possible while receiving the care they need to maintain a high quality of life. Our population is aging rapidly, and with an aging population comes an increased need for different care options, particularly when 9 out of 10 older adults have expressed a strong preference to “age in place” or stay in their own homes. In its simplest terms, home care means assistance with activities of daily living and household tasks. Ideally, home care also provides meaningful companionship for older adults and peace of mind for their families. While it is the oldest form of health care (think: house calls before the advent of our modern hospital system), home care was very limited in its scope until approximately two decades ago. Before then, home care was exclusively an interim solution or a short-term service for older adults recovering from hospitalization. Today, home care can serve as a comprehensive alternative to an institutional setting like a nursing home or assisted living facility.

While home care is most commonly introduced as a service to assist aging seniors, it is also a valuable resource when an individual of any age has had an injury, accident or surgery – or is suffering from a chronic illness. Home care can refer to two different types of care:

Non-Medical Home Care: Trained caregivers provide support with basic activities and functions and instrumental activities, called Activities of Daily Living and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living.

Medical Home Health Care: Licensed medical professionals provide health services such as wound care and injections.

Home care as it is used today typically refers to non-medical services that help a senior live and thrive at home. These services include but are not limited to meal preparation, medication reminders, companionship, bathing assistance, transportation, dementia care, transferring and more. At Home Care Assistance, we are committed to the wellbeing and happiness of the many clients we are privileged to serve. For more information on our services, please visit our website at www.homecareassistancebirminghamal.com.