A lot of people hear about in-home care for the first time and instantly think that it’s the ideal thing for their family. In-home care is helpful for many and a lot of lives are made better as a result of this. However, just because it is good for some does not mean that it is good for all.
The first setback that you will face when considering in-home care is medical need. Sometimes, a loved one has so many medical needs that it is not realistic to administer care in the home. Yes, it’s possible to provide home health care to a loved one, but this can be expensive depending on the insurance policy that your loved one has. Medicare and Medi-Cal policies will cover some things, depending on the specific policy that’s in place, but not everything. It might not be realistic to give care at the home in these instances. In some areas, there isn’t the appropriate staff in place to come to your home to apply medical care, even if it is only nursing care. Unfortunately, this is usually only available in urban areas.
Another instance where in-home care isn’t realistic is when it comes down to cost. In-home care has a cost associated with it, and health insurance doesn’t always pick up all of those costs. Depending on the policy that your loved one has, it might be too expensive to hire an in-home caregiver. Now, this is something that needs to be investigated on a case by case basis, so it’s worth checking into on your end. Also, it’s worth mentioning that some states are better at this than others when it comes to Medicare coverage. For example, New Jersey has really led the way in this area and other states are catching on. Depending on where you live this might be realistic to expect to have all or most of your costs accounted for. Again, you will need to look into this on your end to know for sure.
Finally, in-home care might not be helpful if your family’s dynamics do not make it realistic. For example, if your parent doesn’t really want to stay at home, then in-home care probably isn’t right for them. There are more options today than ever before when it comes to senior care. In-home care is a great choice, but some people want to live with others their own age. When it comes to choosing the right care, your loved one’s wishes should be accounted for as best as possible.
In-home care might be right for your family, but it might not be. Take a look at what’s going on in your loved one’s life and that of the rest of your family’s. Be sure that you have spoken with a doctor regarding your loved one’s needs so there are no surprises in terms of care requirements. This way, you have a much better idea of what your needs are, and you can choose the best type of care to satisfy the unique needs that your family has.
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