Many different services are provided in the homes of elderly Americans to enable them to live independently as long as possible before entering nursing care. These resources include home health services, hospice care, homemaker services, private staff, therapy companies, and dealers of medical equipment and supplies. Care may be delivered through independent companies, employment registries, or individual care providers.

What Do Home Care Services Do?

Home care providers offer a range of services for the elderly, from nursing care to homemaker services, and everything in between.

Home Health Agencies

Home health agencies provide skilled services for homebound elderly clients. While some agencies focus on nursing care and therapy, others coordinate physician and nursing care, therapy, social work, homemaker services, medical equipment and supply dealers, and even volunteers.

Hospice Care

Home-based hospice care aids terminally ill patients and their families in keeping the patients pain-free, in advocating for patients, and in counseling patients and their families. The care they provide is comprehensive, including medication administration and the provision of medical supplies and equipment.

Homemaker Services

Some agencies have homemakers and chore workers on their staffs to perform home-related tasks the elderly can no longer do themselves. Homemakers do light housework, shopping, and meal preparation. They also help elderly clients bathe and dress. Chore workers help with heavier tasks, such as yard work.

Private Staff

Private staffing agencies provide many of the same services as do home health agencies. For example, they can provide homemaker services, chore services, and nursing care.

Therapy Companies

Pharmaceutical and infusion therapy companies provide drugs and equipment to deliver medications and nutrition to patients using tubes. They keep pharmacists on staff to determine patient needs, as well as nurses to teach patients and caregivers how to administer substances themselves.

Medical Equipment And Supply Dealers

Some companies provide durable medical equipment and supplies, such as wheelchairs, air tanks, walkers, and catheters to patients living at home. They hire staff to install and maintain the equipment, as well.

What Services Must Be Medicare Certified Or State Licensed?

To receive Medicare payment, home health care agencies must be certified by Medicare. Certification ensures that agencies meet federal requirements for patient care and management. Like home health care agencies, most hospice care providers are also certified by Medicare.

Whether home care providers must be licensed depends on the law of the state in which the care is provided. Generally speaking, hospice agencies and private nursing staff agencies are required to be licensed. Additionally, some states requires homemaker agencies to be certified, as well as pharmaceutical and infusion therapy companies and durable medical equipment and supply dealers.

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