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Month: May 2015

Home Care vs. Nursing Home

Posted on by Erin Perry

Many families get home care and nursing home services confused, often mixing the terms and services together. The truth is, there are several significant differences between home care and nursing home services including: the ability to serve multiple client types, flexibility in service, patient health benefits, life improvement services, and healthcare management.

Home Care Can Bring Service to Anyone, Anywhere Young and Old

Elderly woman and nurseThe power of home care is that it can be delivered practically anywhere at any time. Families can experience the best caretaking services in homes, apartments, schools and even assisted living facilities. Nursing home, on the other hand, are located in only one place. Most nursing home services are only provided within the facility, and their staff will not come to client homes or other locations. Plus nursing homes only provide services for the elderly, while home care services provides care for ANY individual who needs it.

Flexible In-Home Care Plans

Arise Cares offers a variety of nursing and personal care services that are made especially for their clients. Home care agencies go through an extensive matchmaking process to pair their patients with a registered nurse who will assess their home and needs. Arise Cares staff meets with families to make a customized care plan that works, and caters to the mind, body, and spirit. Nursing homes often have standardized plans that treat clients with similar needs exactly the same. This means families are not given the customized life experience they need and deserve.

Faster Healing Benefits of Home Care

Great home care keeps individuals in their comfort zones, which decreases confusion and anxiety. Home care is proven to be a valid way to manage chronic conditions and reduce expensive hospital visits. Also some research shows that those in home care, heal faster in their homes. In fact, nine out of ten seniors prefer home care over nursing home care.

Advanced Services

Comprehensive home care with Arise Cares also includes far more services than nursing homes can, and are willing to provide like: transportation, nutrition, and socialization. Home care not only provides caregiving assistance, they also provide companion services that will escort individuals to any appointments, stay overnight for security, and provide cooking and nutritional services. However, most nursing home will not offer companion services that enrich client lives. If such services are available in a nursing home, the costs of the services are more than most families can afford and the list of companion services are not as diverse as home care services.

Comprehensive Health Care Management

Home care provides both medical and personal care services. Arise nurses are trained in Geriatrics and provide specialized services like: individualized care planning, screen, arrange and monitor in-home help, assistance with forms and paperwork, act as family liaison when family members live far away. Personal care services could include: skin care, meal preparation, exercise and ambulance, and light housekeeping. Nursing homes perform some of the personal care services that in home care does, but most nursing homes do not prioritize or provide the specialized services like light housekeeping or individualized care planning, or assistance with paperwork. It they do provide some of these services, it is split between multiple people who may not communicate with each other to ensure cohesive management and patient treatment.

Arise Cares is a comprehensive in-home medical and non-medical service for individuals of all ages. Whether a child with special needs or an aging adult with care needs, Arise medical professionals can assist them with daily living and help them accomplish their goals. With over 165 qualified in-home specialists we know that we will find the right fit for your family. Arise Cares is the number one home care service in Minnesota. If your loved one needs home care contact us for a consultation today.

Choosing a Home Health Agency

Posted on by Erin Perry

“Of all the lessons I’ve learned through my years of caregiving, the most important is to keep the love connection going. Just tell them that you love them again and again and again. You will never say it too much- ever.”

– Joan Lunden, journalist, author, mother of seven and long time caregiver to her mother.

You love your parents. You are so thankful for all they’ve done for you through the years. You want to help them as they age, but the caregiving task is getting to you. You’re trying to get ahead but you feel like you’re running on a treadmill. You are burnt out physically and checking out emotionally. How do you show your love to your parents and provide them the care they need?

If you’re struggling to keep up with caregiving and keeping your life balanced, it’s time to step back and look for other options. One of the best options in this transitional time of life is home health care. When making this decision, it’s critical to know what to look for in a home health agency.

10 Questions to Ask Home Health Agencies

Home Care Agency

  • How long has your agency been providing home care services?
  • What certifications and licenses does your agency have?
  • What are your financial procedures? Do you have documents explaining costs and payment plans?

Caregivers

  • How are caregivers selected? Are background checks run on all of the staff?
  • What are your requirements for caregivers? Do they go through ongoing training and development?
  • Are caregivers supervised? If so, what is done to ensure workers are given the best possible care?
  • Are caregivers available at any time (24 hours a day, seven days a week)?
  • Who is all involved in making changes to the care plan?

General Care

  • What services do you provide?
  • Do you have nurses and other health professionals evaluating the home care needs of my loved one? How are the needs assessed?
  • How is my loved one’s care plan documented? Can I see an example?
  • Who can we contact if we have questions or concerns about the care? How do you addresses problems if they arise?
  • Do you have caregivers that can meet my special language or cultural preferences?
  • What processes do you have in place to react to emergencies?

Once you’ve asked these questions, follow up with a request for references. A great home care agency should have a long list of doctors, clients, nurses, and families that are eager to share their experiences with the agency.

Arise Home Health Care has been providing quality home care services for over 15 years across central Minnesota. Learn more about the Arise story and services, or contact us for a conversation about your unique caregiving needs. We would happily answer any questions you may have about home health care and our agency.