Do you want to stay to live at your home? But are you having problems with mobility, vision, or memory, so you can’t live independently?
Moving to another facility is not an option, your family lives far away or has a lot on their shoulders, so hiring a caregiver is the most reasonable choice.
When hiring a caregiver, there are three main questions. First, you need to know what services you will ask from them. Second, you should determine how much these services cost and how you are going to pay for them. Last but not least is how to evaluate caregiver agencies and choose a reliable one.
What Caregiver Services Do I Need?
People usually don’t ask themselves this question before they start having severe health issues or an accident. When your health starts declining, it is time to consider having an additional pair of hands in your home.
Your current health condition may prevent you from taking care of the house. Cleaning, vacuuming, repairing, and all other house chores might be difficult for you. If you need a caregiver only for housekeeping, you shouldn’t worry. The majority of caregiver agencies offer these services.
However, your deteriorated health condition can also cause trouble with activities such as grooming, bathing, dressing, etc. Perhaps you need someone to help you with medication management. All these services are covered by homecare agencies, and much more.
Need to organize transportation to a doctor, for example? Do you need someone to help you with cooking meals?
See what your needs are, and contact an agency to check what services they provide.
How to Evaluate a Caregiver Agency
Evaluation means assessing how reliable and professional an agency is. The best option would be if you know anyone who hired a caregiver via an agency, so you could ask them. However, if that’s not the case, you can conduct some research.
On Medicare’s website, you can find an online rating system. There you can see the rating of homecare agencies in your area by inserting your location into a text box.
Also, go through our website and read more about in-home care. This will give you the idea on what aspects to pay attention to.
How to Pay for Homecare Costs
When you decide to age at home and avoid expensive nursing facilities, it doesn’t mean you won’t have any additional costs.
If a doctor approves in-home care services, Medicare covers a certain percentage of costs and is divided into several different parts. Medicaid targets people with low income and covers the costs to a certain extent.
Medicare covers nursing costs, but for only 21 days or less a month. Also, services related to a speech impediment and physical therapy are also covered. You also need to know that if you want 24/7 care, Medicare won’t pay for it. Personal care and housekeeping services are not covered, either.
Have you heard of the Medicare Advantage plan?
Starting in 2020, Medicare Advantage will cover non-medical costs. This means Medicare will pay for bathroom grab bars, for example.
Here you can learn more about how to earn additional money in retirement and use it to pay for homecare services.
Aging in place shouldn’t pose a problem when carefully planned. Think about what services you need and the homecare agencies in your neighborhood which provide them. Also, check out what services are covered by Medicare and Medicaid, and whether you can find additional sources of income.
There is no better place for seniors than home. Thus it is no wonder why many refuse to move to a nursing facility. Now aging at home is finally possible.
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