If you have a parent or guardian in your life who needs a bit more help during the day-to-day, you’ve probably considered the benefits of in-home care for your senior. According to recent statistics, over 26 percent of adults have become a family caregiver to an aging parent in the past few years. With the senior population growing at an unprecedented rate, it can be difficult to sort through all the options for senior care to find the one that’s best for your parent. From tech startups that offer instant companionship for seniors, to in-home senior care companies in rogers ar, you’re not at a loss for options. However, when it comes to finding the best in-home care solution for your parent, you’re going to need a bit more information before making your choice. If you’re trying to figure out what’s best for the senior in your life, here are a few things to think about when it comes to considering the cost and logistics of in-home senior care.
1. Insurance Could Cover In-Home Care
If you’re ready to pay an out-of-pocket premium for in-home care, you’re in good shape. However, don’t overlook the opportunity to get at least some of the cost covered by Medicare or another private insurance company. If you’re looking for other ways to supplement the cost, you can use your senior’s veteran benefits or even use a tax credit to get your cost down to a reasonable number. It also helps to ask about payment options. Most services charge by the hour, which makes it easier for you to compare the cost of different services in your area.
2. You Can Choose Independent Workers
When it comes to in-home care, you don’t always have to go with a large company. If you live in a densely-populated city or town, you’ll be able to find independent caretakers who you can set up a more flexible arrangement with. The only catch? You’ll have to do the vetting yourself, which means getting in touch with references and making sure you’re hiring an actual licensed caretaker to do the job. With non-medical care, this becomes much easier. Seniors who don’t need any medical help and just want basic support around the house can benefit from having a local volunteer, such as a high school senior or another senior, coming into the house every few days to help out. However, if you’re looking for medical care and need meds and IVs to be administered, you’ll have to do the work of checking all your independent applicants.
3. There are Tons of Apps to Try
If you thought the senior in-home care boom was limited to physical door-to-door services, you couldn’t be more wrong. Thanks to newer apps like Homebase, Honor, and CareZapp, you can practically order up a caretaker to arrive at your senior’s home within minutes. However, in the case of seniors who need a bit more than just conversation, you might need to check elsewhere. While some senior care apps do feature licensed medical caretakers and aides who will come to your senior’s door, others specialize in virtual caregiving, which requires your senior to have at least some grasp of the Internet. On the plus side, virtual caregiving can often help seniors stay in touch with the outside world and stave off loneliness for a much smaller cost than your average hourly in-home care service.
4. You Can Choose Between Medical and Non-Medical Help
Your senior’s needs are specific. Whether your parent is dealing with a serious medical condition or simply wants a bit more company at home, you can find a service that offers medical or non-medical in-home care. Your senior’s needs could also change: While they’re perfectly healthy now, they could need more attention later down the line. In order to prepare for this, try choosing a service that employs both medical and non-medical health aides.
5. There are Plenty of Ways to Cut Down Cost
If the cost of a $20-$30 an hour in-home carer is more than your wallet can bear, don’t worry. There are plenty of ways to make the cost more reasonable, including researching veteran exemptions and using tax credits. You can also save by opting for virtual care in the case of a senior who doesn’t need medical attention, and you can even make certain changes to your senior’s home to cut down on cost. Installing a ramp or a grab bar in the bathroom can make a huge difference in terms of daily accessibility in your senior’s home, and it could end up minimizing the amount of care they need in the home.
