Elder Care For Seniors At Home

As the American population ages solutions to the medical and social challenges faced by senior citizens are receiving greater attention than ever before. In earlier generations, few women worked outside the home and most Americans lived close to family. Elder care was largely the responsibility of daughters and daughters-in-law. Today, this scenario is becoming relatively rare.

Many elderly people have health issues that are not serious enough to require nursing care, but which do require some supervision. As people age their circle of friends grows smaller and they spend much of their time at home, often alone. Failing eyesight or other conditions may restrict their ability to walk or drive a car. While not having any ailments requiring full time medical care, these seniors need assistance to maintain themselves in their own homes. There are agencies that can help by providing elder care in the home.

For seniors who are able to remain at home with minimal supervision, an elder care homemaker or companion may be the ideal answer. Elder care homemakers and companions are not trained in medical care, although in some states they may be required to be certified in CPR. Their primary duties are to help with light housework, cooking, shopping, laundry and other household tasks and errands that older people may find challenging. Elder care homemakers also talk to their clients and provide social interaction. Usually, they provide reports on the condition of their clients and are responsible for notifying the appropriate authority if there is a marked change in a client's condition.

The needs of the individual client determine how often the elder care homemaker visits. Some clients may only need to be seen once a week for two or three hours, others may need daily visits of an hour or more. Since elder care homemakers are not qualified to assist with personal care, clients who need assistance with bathing or grooming may require a certified nursing assistant in addition to the elder care homemaker.

Short term elder care following surgery or an injury may be covered by insurance or Medicare. In addition to elder care homemakers and certified nursing assistants, visiting nurses may be needed to change dressings or administer medication. In most cases, the treating doctor will have to determine the amount and duration of home care needed. Insurers and Medicare realize that it may be less expensive for a patient to receive assistance at home than to recuperate at a nursing facility. Coverage for at home elder care has been expanded by many insurers.

The cost of elder care is always a consideration. Some government programs like Medicaid assist low income elderly people with in home care. Providing elder care at home creates less drain on state resources than caring for the elderly in nursing facilities. Seniors or their relatives can contact their state government, Medicare and community senior citizen centers for specific information on financial assistance for at home elder care.