Is Home Health Care Right For You?

With the financial situation in the US as it currently is and the need to fix foreign affairs, healthcare is taking a backseat. The home loan situation undoubtedly needs careful attention, but what about health care. The situation in home health care is still shaky, to say the least. Family caregivers already have a lot to deal with in terms of estate planning, navigating the Medicare and Medicaid maze, as well as holding jobs in the case of many women of the tight generation.

The truth is that America as a nation is getting old. The first of the baby boom generation will turn 65 in 2013. As America ages, we need to expand the number of home health care solutions available to seniors. This means more cash and counseling programs, expanded assisted living arrangements, more community living programs, and adult day care. Home health agencies are not for everyone. It is true that it is a much more economically viable solution than nursing homes, which can cost up to $70,000 a year.

Everyone wants to retire and grow old in the comfort of their own home. Not many people want to grow old in nursing homes. The problem with home health agencies is the limited scope of responsibilities that each aide can attend to. Many home health care agencies have strict criteria that exclude things like bowel care and help with tracheostomy tubes, both of which are essential in the family with MS or other diseases that affect the brain. The alternatives are independent contracting, family contracting, or neighbors if the situation allows it. When you consider home health care, the main considerations are financial and quality of care. Do you receive financial help either from Medicaid or some other outside funding? Do you need professional nursing home type care? What is the extent of the disability?