Is Home Care The Right Choice For Your Loved One? (NAPSA)—Deciding if caring for an aging loved one at homeis the best decision can be easier if you do your homework. Home care can include both medical services and nonmedical services. If you are wonderingif home care is appropriate for your aging loved one, consider the following: Experts say that half of all Americans aged 85 years or older need some help with ordinary activities of daily living. Depending on whereyoulive, nursing home care in a private room can cost up to $60,000 a year. Home care can offer the advantage of remaining in familiar surroundings and receiving only the level of assistance that is required at that time. Even if your loved one is in good health now, chronic and accelerating illnesses often accompany aging, and the state of one’s health can change very quickly. Helping aging relatives with just one simple task per day such as eating or dressing, can take up to nine hours per week. Hiring someone on your own means you will be responsible for malpractice, supervision, background checks, taxes, employee injuries, supervision and determining what services are needed. The time to plan for long term care is before a crisis occurs Home care services can cover a broad spectrum—from skilled nursing to homemaker and com- panion services. so you have time to evaluate your choices. * Homecare services can cover a broad spectrum—from skilled nursing to homemaker and companion services. According to a survey by AARP, 82 percent of the people surveyed would prefer not to move from their current home if they needed help caring for themselves. There are a numberof factors to consider when selecting a homecare provider, such as what types of services does your loved one require and whatare thecredentials of the agency you are considering? To find out more about home care and whether yourloved oneis safe at home, you can take free, independentliving assessment at www.homestyleservices.com.
