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How to Decide What Home Care Services are Needed

Home care services can help you to be able to stay at home longer when there is a disability, serious injury, chronic illness or advanced age. Home care services are tailored to your specific needs and your environment.

Situations that may benefit from home care services:

You are less able to care for your daily personal needs including meals, getting dressed and doing daily tasks.

A physical or mental disability makes it difficult to function.

You are recovering from an illness, surgery or hospital stay.

There is a chronic condition that requires care.

You are dealing with a terminal illness.

Once you have determined that you are in need of home care services the next step is to locate all of the available home care options in your location. There are many options including skilled care, home support services and other misc. services such as medical equipment delivery, lab and x-rays, pharmacy services, therapy that includes respiratory, occupational and physical as well as dental care. There may also be the need for clergy to visit when spiritual needs should be addressed.

You may need to have a combination of types of home care services depending on the situation.

One thing to consider when you are making home care choices is how you will pay for these services. There are several options that include: Medicare, Medicaid, Older Americans Act, Veterans Affairs, insurance and various community organizations.

You have located the home care options and have investigated how to pay for the services now you need to determine exactly what services are needed. Here are a few steps to take that may help you to decide.

Step 1.

Talk with your healthcare provider about your situation. You may be able to get some good advise about which of the needs you have would be appropriate for home care.

Step 2.

Keep a pocket notebook on you during the day and record in it any situation that arises in which you have difficulty performing a task or getting a need filled because of not being able to physically complete a task. This notebook can be then used to identify which areas are the ones that you need someone to help you accomplish tasks. This notebook can be referred to when you are speaking with someone regarding your home care needs.

If you are going to receive help from an agency you may be asked to fill out forms that will be used to determine your home care needs.

Your needs for home care may change over time, so it is a good idea to do a periodic assessment.