Home Care for Veterans

Home care refers to non-medical care provided to an individual at home. It is usually the first type of care that a senior veteran will need. With home care, aging veterans can remain independent for a long time in the comfort of their own home. It is a great alternative to assisted living facilities and nursing homes.

Types of Home Care

Seniors with chronic health conditions, disabilities or cognitive issues need help from another person to continue living in the familiar and comfortable environment of their own home.

In-home care typically includes help with ADLs (activities of daily living), IADLs (Instrumental activities of daily living), and companionship.

ADLs are simple tasks that most people can perform without help, such as bathing, dressing, eating, and transferring. IADLs are activities that are a little more complex, such as medication management, household chores and meal prep. Home care can be provided by caregivers, such as family members, personal caregivers and home health aides.

Home Health Care

Home care and home health care are different. Home health care refers to medical services that a senior may need following hospitalization or a stay in a rehabilitation or skilled nursing facility. Such care usually includes short-term care, such as wound care, administering medications and injections and medical testing and health monitoring. Home health care is provided by licensed health care professionals, such as registered nurses and physical therapists.

Long-Term Home Nursing Care

Complex health conditions, such as Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI), muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis and cerebral palsy require long-term home medical assistance. This is provided by registered and vocational nurses who can help clients with medical equipment and administering injections and medications.

In-Home Care for Veterans

When a veteran needs in-home care, the help can come from family caregivers, personal care aides or home health aides.

Most home care is provided by unpaid family caregivers who help their loved one with at least one ADL. The most common ADLs are transferring, transportation, grocery and other shopping or house work.

Personal Care Aides

Personal care aides, or home care aides, help with ADLs, hygiene, meal prep, shopping, washing dishes, light cleaning, laundry and running errands. They do not provide medical care.

Home Health Aides

A home health aide helps people with ADLs and IADLs. Home health aides are often supervised by licensed medical professionals. They should have formal training.

How to hire a Caregiver?

There are many factors you need to consider while hiring a home caregiver, including –

• the tasks that need to be performed
• the caregiver’s training and work experience
• references from former employers
• background check

When you find a caregiver that meets your needs, make sure there is a written contract between you and the caregiver or the home health care agency, specifying their duties, responsibilities, compensation, benefits, handling of personal information and termination.

To learn more about workers compensation claims in-home care, transporter home health care, or coal miner home health care, call CNS (Critical Nurse Staffing) at 877-259-9001.

About This Author

Critical Nurse Staffing Joined: July 30th, 2019