If your loved one is in need of at home care, there are a lot of options and the search may seem daunting. Many seniors want to believe they can remain independent forever and may fight you on the choice of receiving at home care. Here are five tips for finding the best home care agencies in Philadelphia PA so that the conversation is a little easier.
Understand the difference between skilled home care and private duty home care.
If your senior was just released from the hospital, they may need skilled home care at home. Your doctor would like recommend this to you while your senior recovers from an illness. However, if the care you need is not medical in nature, you may just need to get them private duty home care. This care is more custodial in nature and can include services like cooking meals, reminders about medicine and transportation. It is important to note that most private duty home care is not covered by Medicare.
Find out how to pay for the home care services you need. While searching for the best home care agencies in Philadelphia PA it is important to find out how much the services will cost and how you can pay for them. Medicare will usually pay for home care if the patient is considered home bound or if they are under a doctor’s care. You should ask your loved one’s doctor when you begin shopping around if they think your senior would meet the criteria set forward by Medicare.
Understand your loved one’s needs now and what their future needs will be. Your family member may need custodial care now, but that doesn’t mean they won’t need nursing care in the future. You may want to find home care agencies in Philadelphia PA that provide both so you can upgrade the care when the time has come. These types of agencies usually have staff with greater medical training. The drawback to this type of agency is that they are usually more expensive and may put a drain on your wallet.
Talk to your doctor. Before you hire any agency, you should check with your doctor to find out if they have a good reputation. Ask if they’ve heard about any complaints or if they have other patients using them. You should also find out who own the agency. Investigate several options before making any choices.
Meet people from the agency before making a final decision. Most home care agencies in Philadelphia PA can come to your home to talk about their services. They also visit hospitals. You should meet several people and find the one you feel most comfortable with.
You could always shop around for the best home care agency in Philadelphia PA, but when you choose Ameribest Home Care, you and your loved ones will find a better safe-haven amongst compassionate and dedicated caregivers who provide Home Care for Seniors. To learn more, please visit www.ameribesthomecare.com
