Introduction to in-home senior care services

In-home senior care includes a variety of non-medical support services that can help an older person to live independently in their home. A compelling alternative or supplement to care facilities, in-home care empowers seniors and individuals with care needs to remain in a familiar environment, maintaining emotional and social ties to their home and community.

When is in-home care needed?

Aging brings changes and a growing need for help beyond what the family can provide. Time constraints, caregiver burnout, and long-distance family can all contribute to the need for external support. For some older adults, that can mean just a little bit of help with daily activities that have gotten a bit more challenging. For others, chronic medical problems, accidents, cognitive impairment, and general decline may interfere with independence and well-being. That is where in-home care comes in.

In-home care, in all its forms, is an essential part of aging in place. Preferred by the majority of older adults, its benefits include familiar surroundings, neighborhood friends, and the memories and experiences of being at home. Additionally, the cost of in-home care can be more affordable than the monthly costs of an assisted care facility, which may still need to be supplemented by additional services.

The 4 main types of in-home senior care

As you start to research in-home senior care services, it can be overwhelming to figure out what you need, how much it costs, and where to find it once you know what you want. To help demystify the process, we’ve put together a list of the four most common types of in-home senior care and who provides it. We’ll cover:

1. Private in-home care
2. Home health care
3. Private nursing
4. Hospice care

Choosing the right senior care service for you and your family

With all the different types of support available, remember that needs change over time. Putting together the pieces of in-home care may mean reevaluating care at each different stage. And, there isn’t always one right decision—just make the decision you can at the time.

Private In-Home Care: The most flexible, affordable, popular care option

Private in-home care is the glue that holds the rest of the home care services together. Why? Because insurance and other covered home care services are time-limited and lack flexibility, while private in-home care covers essential day-to-day personal care not provided by other types of caregivers on an ongoing, flexible basis.

Also known as personal in-home care, companion care, respite care, or non-medical in-home care, this type of support is usually hired directly by the family via an online platform or through an agency. As the most flexible type of care, it reflects your own preferences, needs, and schedule, rather than what’s dictated to you by insurance.

On Herewith, you can book Helpers to provide private in-home care. Helpers can assist with many different tasks and needs and can accommodate your personal schedule, from one-time bookings to ongoing support.

What services do in-home caregivers provide?

In-home caregivers, such as Herewith Helpers, typically provide assistance with Activities of Daily Living (ADLS) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs).

ADLs include basic daily skills and activities:

• Eating
• Walking
• Bathing
• Getting dressed
• Toileting

IADLS build on those basic skills to allow for independent living.

IADLs include slightly more complex everyday activities such as:

• Managing finances
• Doing laundry
• Using the phone
• Going places
• Cleaning the house
• Cooking

Based on these care needs Helpers, or personal in-home caregivers, can provide essential, non-medical care.

Some common services that Helpers provide for senior care clients include:

• Helping your loved one cook, clean, and organize the home
• Help with errands, such as grocery shopping or trips to the hairdresser or post office
• Providing help learning to use devices such as computers, smartphones, tablets, and TVs
• Assisting with getting dressed, bathing, and transferring from bed to a wheelchair or standing position
• Providing companionship, including participating in activities, conversation, or trips around town
• Monitoring changes in health and emotional status and reporting back to the family
• Supporting memory care for a loved one with dementia or Alzheimer’s
• Assisting with medication reminders

While there are many tasks Helpers and personal in-home caregivers can do, avoid asking them to provide medical care, such as:

• Setting up or dispensing medications
• Providing any medical care such as wound, catheter care, injections, diabetic checks, or vital signs such as heart rate and blood pressure
• Interacting with healthcare professionals on behalf of the care recipient
• Making medical decisions

Private in-home care is the most common and suits the widest variety of needs and budgets. Learn if in-home care is right for your loved one.

Do Helpers provide in-home care?

On Herewith, Helpers can provide in-home care for IADLS or ADLs. Helpers can visit and provide support wherever the older adult resides, whether it’s a family home, a rehabilitation clinic, assisted living, or an independent living community.

With no commitments and on-demand scheduling, in-home care with Herewith Helpers can be tailored to each individual’s needs as they change over time and can easily slot in to provide much needed respite for family caregivers.

Home Health Care: Prescribed care with set hours

Home health care has a valuable place in the care and rehabilitation of older adults and differs from private in-home care in a few important ways. Home health care requires a physician's order with specifics about appropriate services, usually nursing, physical and occupational therapy. Home health aides are an integral part of home health service, but as with any of the other home health benefits, their involvement is limited.

Here is what you can expect from home health caregivers:

• Help with bathing, changing continence briefs, and grooming
• Assistance with eating, including tube feeding or IV feeds, and transferring
• Blood pressure, oxygen, and temperature checks
• Reporting to the nurse on medical supply or durable medical equipment needs
• Attending to wound care, dressings, and stitches

Home health care is typically an insurance-covered benefit, varying based on location and specific coverage.

What’s not covered by home health care:

• Companionship
• Cooking and cleaning
• Transportation
• Shopping
• Medication dispensing

Private Nursing: Supports complex medical needs at home

Occasionally families may need a registered nurse to perform the kinds of duties only a nurse can do. Some examples include: injections, catheter care, wound care, medication management, and ordering durable medical equipment like oxygen, wheelchairs, or hospital beds.

Some people may prefer to employ a private nurse because the care recipient no longer qualifies for home health care but has continuing nursing needs. Private in-home caregivers, even certified nursing assistants (CNAs), cannot perform any of the tasks that a private nurse can. Private nursing is private pay, and hourly rates vary.

Hospice Care: Palliative care for the end of life transition

Hospice offers essential support and comfort care for people at the end of life. Hospice is an insurance-covered benefit, so like home health, there are restrictions on what hospice workers can do. For example, families are often surprised to learn that hospice is not around-the-clock care.

At the beginning of hospice, you can expect an aide to help your loved one with bathing, grooming, continence care, and eating for a specified number of hours on a weekly basis. To fill in the gaps in care, you can turn to private in-home caregivers to assist your loved one on a schedule that fits your needs.

In-Home Care: Comfort, Safety, and Health

It can be challenging to navigate the options for care as needs change, but remember that you can have multiple types of caregivers at the same time if necessary, each providing different kinds of care to help your loved one. Choose the care that best serves your loved one’s health, ensures safety, and provides comfort at that time.

Learn more about what caregiving services Herewith Helpers provide for seniors.