Recently, I learned some interesting facts about hiring day or part time help for a parent. Whether you need someone to come in and fix meals for your parent while you work, need someone to pick them up to take them to a doctor's appointment, or need full time care while you're away, there are some financial and safety considerations you might want to consider. I'll cover safety issues in the next post along with some of the monitoring devices available today.
A home health aide may also be called a companion or personal attendant. An aide can help with housekeeping, meals, laundry, getting the client in and out of bed, helping them dress, bathe and eat, and taking them to appointments. Depending on their training, an aide may be an active part of a health care team, keeping records of condition and progress and working under the supervision of a doctor, or home health nurse or physical therapist. An aide can come in once a day to help out or work a full days, even in shifts for 24 hour care.
First, the cost of hiring someone to help out is an important consideration in most cases. Depending on the type of assistance needed and the length of time it will be needed, some insurance, Medicare or Medicaid may help pay a portion of the costs. Check your specific needs with your insurer.
You could choose to hire a health care aide on your own, or select a reliable agency to provide someone for you. There are pros and cons for each option that you need to consider carefully.
Hiring a Home Health Aide
Hiring someone on your own may sound like a cheaper option at first but there are additional costs involved. It will take time and effort to find a reliable person. You'll need to do a background check and other investigations to be sure the person is what they say they are, how well trained they are, and other factors, such as their driving record. You'll also need to be concerned with things like taxes and medical insurance. See the topic "Hiring a Home Health Aide" in the side bar for lots of suggestions and details.
Using an Health Care Agency
While an aide from a reputable agency may appear to cost more for per hour, there are some advantages. Primarily, an aide from an agency will have had background and health checks, training and supervision. If they are injured on the job, such as hurting their back helping a patient out of bed, they will be covered by the agency's insurance. The agency will also provide substitutes when an aide is ill or has days off. You can also be confident that the aide will be honest, respectful of the client, discreet in not discussing personal information with others. See the side bar topic, "Hiring an Aide from an Agency" for suggestions on finding an agency.
Next time, I want to look into safety issues for older adults living alone, even part of the day, and what new devices and options are available for someone living alone.
Take care until next time,
Kathy Frost
Posted by: |