Senior Resources Southeast KRW 2018-19 Directory

H OME H EALTH A GENCIES

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ftentimes, decisions about elder care and senior living are made as a result of an injury or illness and a decision regarding home care, home healthcare, or assisted living services must be made quickly. However, being knowledgeable about your options and planning ahead will allow you to make the best deci- sion for all involved. Home Health Agencies can really be defined by the level of services being offered. Non-Medical Home Health Agencies differ from companion type services because they pro- vide an additional level of assis- tance in the home. In addition to the homemaker/companion ser- vices such as meal preparation, light housekeeping, errand ser- vices and recreational activities, a Non-Medical Home Health Agency may also offer hands-on personal care services. Personal care services typically include assistance with Activities of Daily Living (ADL’s) such as bathing, dressing, grooming, eating, mobility, and toileting. A Non- medical agency which offers this advanced level of personal care may be reimbursed by long-term care insurance policies but typi- cally is not covered by Medicare/Medicaid. An agency such as this is still considered non-medical because it is not pro- viding the skilled cares that a licensed home health agency pro- vides. A Licensed Home Health Agency provides skilled care in the home that may include ser- vices such as IV therapy, wound

• Always ask the agency about minimums – hours per visit and visits per week. • Ask about the agency’s back up system in the event your scheduled caregiver has an emergency. You’ll want to make sure that agency has back-up or on-call staff in this situation. Getting additional assistance in the home early on can drastically reduce your risk of a more serious illness or medical condition later on. It may be difficult at first to ask for the additional assistance but you’ve worked hard in life and it may be time you had someone assist or someone “catering” to your daily needs.

care, physical therapy, occupa- tional therapy, speech therapy or respiratory therapy. Most home health agencies also have Home Health Aides to provide personal care services such as bathing, grooming and dressing assistance. Many times the ser- vices provided by a licensed home health agency may be reimbursable through private insurance coverage or Medicare/Medicaid Programs. When looking for a home health agency to provide you or your loved one with assistance in the home, you should con- sider the following; • If you are in need of per- sonal care services, make sure the agency provides actual hands-on care and not just “assistance” with bathing or transferring. Many times the non-med- ical agencies can provide the “assistance” services at a less expensive level of care therefore you should- n’t need to pay for person- al care services unless it’s actually hands-on assis- tance. • If you have a long term care insurance policy, have the agency check with the insurance company direct- ly to ensure the cares are covered under your policy. The agency should be happy to do this for you.

S E N I O R R E S O U R C E S

2018-19

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F or information on S enior S ervices in Wisconsin, visit our website www.seniorresourcesonline.com