Home Care and Medical Care Differences

Home Care Highland Park IL - Home Care and Medical Care Differences

Figuring out what to do in certain circumstances can be difficult. Even during the best of times, struggles can cloud our perspective. These struggles can make it difficult to make good choices. If your elderly father needs support or assistance at home, some level of care, the best place to turn is a home care agency. 

However, you may not fully understand the different types of home care that are available. This could make it a little bit difficult to figure out if he needs a home care aide or something more medically oriented, such as a visiting nurse. Also sometimes referred to as a home health care provider, this type of medical professional is going to be able to administer medications, check vital statistics and perhaps relay that information to your father’s doctor for proper monitoring, change wound dressings, and so much more. 

How to determine the needs of the senior. 

If you have been supporting your father as a caregiver for a while, you probably have a pretty good idea of what he needs right now. If he needs help getting out of bed, preparing a meal, keeping his house clean, or maybe even getting to those doctors’ appointments every once in a while when you are not available, this would perfectly describe what a home care aide offers. 

A home care aide is an individual who can support elderly or disabled clients in the comfort of their homes with any number of tasks associated with daily life. This could include helping your father take a shower, go to the bathroom, get dressed, or even prepare a meal. 

If your dad has trouble doing the laundry now, struggles to take out the garbage or bring it back in, can’t seem to get to the mailbox to check for deliveries each day without struggling, then a home care aide would be perfect. 

What if your father needs this and direct medical attention? 

Some home health care providers, or visiting nurses, will assist with some of those basic tasks of everyday life, but if your father needs more significant, regular assistance with daily tasks and medical support, then he very well might need both a home care aide and a visiting nurse. 

Is that possible? 

Yes, absolutely. If you hire a home care agency to provide support for your aging father, that agency may not have visiting nurses on staff, but the home care aide can be hired for the times when he needs assistance with those basic tasks of everyday life. 

Then, you can also reach out to an agency that provides in-home nursing support, such as a visiting nurse or home health care provider, to support him with those direct medical needs. 

Always start with the home care aide. Since your father needs help with these tasks commonly associated with everyday living, that is where you start. Then, you can fill in the gaps as needed with other supportive professionals. 

If you or an aging loved one are considering Home Care Services in Highland Park IL, contact the caring staff at Gentle Home Services. Call today (800) 860-9823.

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