Private Duty Home Care - What You Should Know
Care Comes Home...
When asked, the overwhelming majority of seniors express the desire to age in place, that is, to live at home as independently as possible for as long as possible. For millions of older adults, it's home care that makes this choice possible by focusing on the true areas and reducing the risk of safety issues, improving proper nutrition and decreasing isolation.
What is private duty home care?
The term home care is familiar but is often improperly used and poorly understood. Home care in general refers to a broad spectrum of care and services provided primarily in a residential setting. But, home care comes in different flavors and are paid for in different manners.
For this section, we will discuss Private Duty Home Care (learn more about your Medicare or medical insurance home health benefit by clicking here). Private Duty Home Care is just that, individualized to the client's needs and wishes and typically paid for with private funds or long term care insurance.
Many seniors, even those receiving skilled Medicare home health care, will need someone to stay with them for extended periods of time to provide companionship, supervision and assistance with personal care. Known as non-medical or custodial home care, it is available in two levels depending on client needs. The first level, Companionship/Homemaker care, may mean simple friendship and conversation, meal preparation, light housekeeping and perhaps transportation. Companion/Homemaker caregivers are generally not required to be licensed or certified.
On the other hand, custodial care may include assistance with the activities of daily living (ADLs) such as bathing, dressing, toileting, lifting/transferring, etc. Most states require that assistance with ADLs be provided by certified personnel only. Florida, for example, requires a Certified Nursing Assistant or Certified Home Health Aid. If you're unsure which level of care is appropriate, ask this simple question... Is hands on care required? Custodial care is measured in hours and is typically provided on a regular schedule which is determined by the client. The number of hours varies widely, ranging from a few hours per week to round-the-clock care 24/7/365.
Warning! With very few exceptions, custodial care is not covered by Medicare and is not covered by health insurance! Medicaid and VA benefits may be available but are extremely limited. Except for those fortunate enough to have purchased a good long term care insurance policy, the cost of custodial home care comes out of pocket.