Senior Care at Home: Understanding the Basics of Medical and Non-Medical Care

Old age can be physically as well as mentally punishing and leave an elderly person dependant on a caregiver to carry on with some simple day-to-day activities or to recoup from an illness. If you are witnessing a decline in the physical and mental capabilities of an elderly person living at home and are concerned about the home care requirements that he or she may need, it would be a wise idea to educate yourself about the fundamentals of senior care at home. This would help you understand the difference between medical and non-medical care and aid you in making an informed decision about which would be a better choice for your family member and if both may be necessary.

What is home care?

Even though there are a number of assisted living facilities and nursing homes that offer senior care programs, most elderly people prefer living in their homes and availing the services of a home health care agency. The term home care encompasses both medical care and non-medical care. While skilled medical practitioners including therapists, nurses and certified health care providers offer medical care, family members and friends can volunteer to offer non-medical care or hire a person for the same.

Medical home care

As already mentioned, this type of elder care becomes necessary if the person is suffering from a physical or psychological health condition that needs constant or intermittent medical attention. Thus, if a person is required to take regular health status assessments through blood tests or needs wound dressing changes, he or she should be provided medical care by a skilled nurse who is qualified to do this job.

Medical home care also includes any kind of assistance that may be provided by a therapist to help the person recover from a long-term illness, severe injury or a recent surgery. These therapists offer both physical and occupational therapy that help the person regain his or her physical strength and the skills to undertake everyday activities such as dressing and feeding oneself respectively. Yet another form of medical care that may be required by a senior citizen is home infusion or IV services.

The frequency of the visit of a medical home care provider depends on the health condition of the elderly person and his or her financial condition. Thus, while medical care may be required on a continuous basis for some, intermittent visits that are scheduled as per the convenience and condition of the patient may be required in some other cases.

Non-medical home care

This type of home care is more general in nature and does not call for the services of a licensed professional. This includes offering social or custodial care to the person and assisting him or her with activities of daily living (ADLs) such as showering, personal grooming, light housekeeping, running a few errands and transportation.

To sum up

A number of well-known home health care providers offer both medical and non-medical care services that are designed to meet the unique senior care needs of every individual. Opting for these can help improve the quality of life of the elderly person living at home as well as other members of the family.