While home health care providers are often used to help care for elderly individuals, they offer services to people of any age, including infants, pregnant women, anyone recovering from an injury, mentally ill people, people who are chronically ill, and the disabled. They can help people stay in their home so they can spend less time in a hospital or nursing home. The type of care necessary determines which type of home health care provider you should hire.

Home Care Aides

Should your loved one just need a little help with day-to-day activities but doesn't necessarily need medical care, a home care aide may be just the thing. These professionals aren't necessarily certified, but are usually acting under the supervision of someone who is. Think of them as someone to help with the shopping, cooking, laundry, household chores and some types of personal care.

Home Health Aides

For those who need a little more care, opt for a home health aide. These professionals have had some type of training and may be certified nursing assistants. They will still be supervised by a nurse or medical professional, but they can provide some simple health services, such as helping with necessary medical equipment, taking temperatures, checking a person's pulse, making sure the person takes the appropriate medications and changing the bandages on any wounds.

Senior Care Providers

Older individuals often have different needs than younger people when it comes to home health care. Hiring someone who specializes in caring for seniors can be a good way to go. Just check to see what type of training and certification the person has as well as what services they provide. Some may have only on-the-job training, while in some states the may be required to have a certain level of training and a license. Special training may include that on caring for people with dementia, special safety considerations for the elderly, and proper nutrition, since some elderly individuals don't eat as well as they should for various reasons.

Nurses and Therapists

For those who need a higher level of medical care, it's sometimes possible to have nurses or therapists visit the home as well. Nurses can help with IVs, caring for wounds, and pain control, for example. An occupational therapist can help people who have health problems that make it harder to go about daily living tasks, while a physical therapist can help someone who has weak or damaged muscles. Speech therapists can help people who can no longer talk as well as they used to.

For a home health care provider for the elderly, contact a business such as United Senior Services home health care providers. 

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