How to Get In-Home Care for the Elderly

Many older adults need in-home care services at some point in life, whether for companionship, grooming assistance, dementia care, and more. If your elderly loved one needs such care, you may have to consider getting them in-home care agencies near you.

The good news is that many in-home care agencies in Tacoma offer various care services for the elderly. However, the steps to getting these services vary from one agency to another. Besides, you must consider some vital factors while selecting an ideal home care agency for your loved one.

Here’s how to get in-home care services for your loved one.

In-Home Care Services Explained

In-home care services are any supportive care services by a professional caregiver to help a person live safely and independently in their home. Although these services vary depending on a person’s care needs, they all have a common goal: to promote a person’s independence and improve their functionality and quality of life.

Many seniors often need in-home care services for various reasons. For example:

  • A senior living with a disability needs assistance in performing daily routines such as grooming or support with walking
  • A senior needs someone to accompany them at home or to a social event such as a wedding
  • A senior with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease needs a caregiver to help them stay active and safe at their home

Examples of In-Home Care Services

Some examples of in-home care services include:

Personal Care Services

It’s natural for some seniors to experience challenges completing daily routines that were once easy when they were younger. For this reason, such seniors often need personal care services to help them live comfortably. 

Personal care services include assistance with grooming, meal preparation, medication reminders, and fall safety and walking support.

Companionship Care Services

Many seniors lose touch with their loved ones as they grow older for one reason or another. For instance, their children may go to college in a city far away from home and only visit home a few times a year. As a result, these seniors end up feeling isolated.

Companionship care services come in handy to prevent such seniors from being lonely and depressed. These services include activities such as accompanying them to social events, reading them a book, helping them read and correspond to their emails, and so on.

Supported Living Services

Supported living is care given to individuals with disabilities to help them become more independent and cope well with their home environment. This support includes various customized care services to suit the person’s needs.

Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care

Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease are common mental conditions affecting many seniors. These conditions cause memory loss and loss of cognitive abilities, making it difficult for seniors to live independently. As a result, they need specialized care to help them stay active and safe in their homes.

Housekeeping and Maintenance Care

Housekeeping and maintenance services are essential for promoting a clean and healthy environment for seniors under care. These services include vacuuming, dusting, folding laundry, watering plants, caring for pets, and much more.

Community Guide and Engagement Services

Community living has numerous benefits. For example, it promotes emotional wellness, increases social interaction, and improves physical health for seniors. But unfortunately, many elders are unable to participate in community activities because of their disabilities. That’s where community guide and engagement services come in.

These services enable seniors to interact with their community by accessing resources such as a community painting club, book reading club, or gardening club.

Steps To Getting In-Home Care Services for An Elderly

Hiring in-home care services may be the best thing to do for your elderly loved one, especially if they can no longer effectively care for themselves. However, there are several steps you must take to help you find the ideal home care agency and services for your loved one.

First, you must determine your loved one’s care needs. For example, your loved one may need help with feeding, meal preparation, or companionship while you’re away from home.

Next, identify the type of care services your loved one needs. For instance, if your loved one has Alzheimer’s or Dementia, they’ll need specialized care to keep them safe in their home.

Lastly, search for an in-home care agency near you to find one that offers the services you need for your loved one. 

Once you find the ideal in-home care agency, the next step is getting the care services you need for your loved one. This process is often easy, although it depends on an agency’s policies and procedures. For instance, Vibrant Health Homecare offers four easy steps if you need in-home care services Tacoma and throughout Pierce County. These steps include needs pre-assessment, home visitation, care plan customization, and plan execution. 

FAQs

We’ve compiled answers to some common questions people ask us about getting in-home care services for the elderly.

Where Can I Find In-Home Care Services in Washington State?

You can find in-home care services in almost every county in Washington State. For instance, Vibrant Health Homecare offers homecare services to clients in Pierce County and its cities, including Tacoma, Puyallup, Gig Harbor, Lakewood, and University Place.

How Do I Choose In-Home Care Services Near Me?

Not all home care agencies have what it takes to offer care services to your elderly loved one. Therefore, you must consider a few factors such as: 

  • Empathetic caregivers
  • Customization of care plans
  • Skilled professionalism
  • Good communication

How to Apply for Home Care Services?

The process of paying for home care services varies from one agency to another. For instance, enrolling for these services at Vibrant Health Homecare takes a few quick steps. These include:

  • Calling the agency to discuss your loved one’s care needs
  • Scheduling a free home visit with a Care Manager or Registered Nurse
  • Participating in customizing your loved one’s care plan
  • Start receiving care as soon as possible

How Much Does In-Home Care Services Cost?

There’s no standard cost of home care services. It varies depending on many factors, such as:

  • The State where the home care agency is located
  • The type of care a person receives
  • The number of hours the individual needs care 

Contact Vibrant Health Homecare for a pre-assessment to determine the cost of in-home care in Pierce County and its cities.

What Are Some Home Health Care Services?

Examples of home healthcare services include:

  • Personal care
  • Light housekeeping and maintenance
  • Activities and companionship care
  • Specialized care for seniors with Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease
  • Community guide and engagement services

You don’t need to undergo tedious processes to get in-home care services for your loved one. At Vibrant Health Homecare, it only takes four quick steps to get started. Call us today or contact us online to schedule a free, in-home assessment with a Registered Nurse or Care Manager.

Our agency serves clients in Tacoma, Lakewood, Fife, Parkland, Steilacoom, Graham, Puyallup, Spanaway, Gig Harbor, University Place, Dupont, and the surrounding cities.

About Author: Annet Asio-Pasquali

vibranthomecaredigital@gmail.com

Annet is a Registered Nurse in the state of Washington, she holds a Bachelor's degree in nursing from Olympic College in Bremerton, WA. She is also the founder of Vibrant Health Homecare, a company that supports the elderly and individuals with various disabilities to have an enhanced quality of life. Prior to starting her agency, Annet worked as a bedside nurse at Tacoma General Hospital for 7 years.