If you have an aging parent or spouse, chances are you may start perusing the market for a home health aide for home care. In fact, there is a 70% chance you will need care, and 1 out of 5 will need care for more than five years. Due to these facts, the home health care field is experiencing rapid growth. If you are looking to age in your home, here is what you need to know about a home health aide.
What to Know About Home Health Aides
What is a Home Health Aide?
Home health aides provide a valuable service to those in need of medical care and attention between visits to their primary care physician. Additionally, home health aides assist those with disabilities, short-term chronic impairments, short-term chronic illnesses, and individuals recovering from surgery.
What Are Home Health Aides’ Responsibilities?
Home health aides are health care professionals who meet the state-wide training requirements to be so. Often, they live with the care recipient or work regular shifts. In addition to completing routine chores like laundry, cooking, and shopping, aides will also:
- Assist with activities of daily living
- Check vital signs
- Monitor patient’s physical and mental conditions
- Handle emergencies like accidents, strokes, and heart attacks
Aides do not provide:
- Occupational therapy
- Skilled nursing care
Mostly, an aide’s role is to monitor the patient’s condition and report it to another medical professional, like a doctor or nurse.
Traits to Look For
One of the most challenging obstacles when it comes to choosing a home health aide is determining what criteria you should look for when hiring one. Here are some qualities you should find in your aide:
- Compassion
- Good communication skills
- Attention to detail
- Flexibility
- Honesty
- Patience
- Physical stamina
- Medical knowledge required for the job
The training requirements for an aide vary from state to state. However, under federal law, aides must have at least 75 hours of training through an approved program. Most states follow the same standard and require aides to obtain at least 16 of those hours in hands-on clinical training and practice.
Some states require more than that with 13 states requiring more than 100 hours, while Maine requires 180.
When to Look for an Aide
You should consider a home health aide when you or your spouse is no longer able to care for themselves and other caregiving options are exhausted. Signs to look for include:
- Leaving the stove on
- Wandering away from home
- Not eating regularly or nutritiously
- Falling frequently
- Having difficulty walking
- Not driving safely
- Difficulty preparing simple meals
It is common to receive some reluctance from those who say they don’t need or want help. Keep in mind that every situation is unique and you may have to adjust your expectations. However, when you feel the situation isn’t safe, it might be time to discuss your options.
Hiring and Paying for an Aide
You can actually hire a home health aide right through an agency. Choosing the agency route is much easier than going it alone. You pay the agency, and it handles the hiring, background checks, payroll, taxes, and insurance.
An agency will also provide supervision and monitoring of aides. For example, if there is an issue, you can reach out at any time, day or night. If a certain caregiver isn’t working out for whatever reason, you can ask the agency to switch them out with another without having to go through the entire process over again. Just be sure that the agency you choose to work with is licensed in your state.
If you choose to hire an aide directly, you might spend a little less because you are cutting out the middleman agency. However, you will be responsible for checking references and conducting a background check yourself. If this is the route you decide to go, it may be helpful to seek recommendations from friends and neighbors.
FAQ
How Do You Know Who to Hire?
There are a few things you can do. You can:
- Ask for referrals
- Ask for the number of hours aides are trained
- Ask what qualifications they have
- Ask if they have a backup in case of scheduling issues
Do Aides Have to be Licensed Like Nurses?
No, they have to complete the mandatory state training but they do not have to be registered nurses.
What if I Don’t Like the Caregiver?
If you work with an agency, it’s as simple as letting them know and asking for another. If you hired them without an agency, then you will have to repeat the hiring process. A care coordinator can handle this for you, that’s why Confident Living is a good option. You are the customer and have the right to continue or not continue.
What Else Can I Ask an Aide to Do Around the House
Sometimes they can do some light housekeeping, clean the dishes and take out the trash. A good thing is to ask the scheduler so that other items can be done around the house to help out while the patient is resting.
What Happens if They Don’t Show Up?
Before you hire an agency, ask them what their plan is. Some places just can’t fulfill everyday care needs, and it is important to know what the risk is.
Do We Have to Commit to a Certain Number of Hours?
Most places make you commit to a four-hour block, depending on the company.
Other Options
A Confident Living membership grants you 24/7 access to a dedicated Care Coordinator, an experienced healthcare professional who is matched to each member. Their job is to help arrange and monitor services so you can maintain an independent lifestyle in your own home.
Care Coordination lets you rest easy, knowing that support is already in place before you or your spouse need it. Through an initial personalized assessment, your Care Coordinator will become familiar with your health and lifestyle preferences. It’s this knowledge that will enable them to support you when a need arises–taking the burden off your family and friends.
Whether you need guidance and support surrounding a change in health or help with finding qualified professionals for a home maintenance project, your Care Coordinator is just a phone call away.Don’t let the future catch you off guard and start planning today with this FREE eBook, Plan the Future for You and Your Spouse’s Long-Term Care.
Confident Living is a continuing care at home membership program, focused on helping you remain active and independent as you age in your own home. We serve the greater Cincinnati area. For more information, contact us online or call (513) 719-3522.