Assuming your aging parent has Medicare as well as one of the supplemental medigap insurance policies, some short-term home health assistance may be covered by insurance if the physician deems it necessary following a hospitalization. As a general rule though, neither Medicare or Medigap policies cover longer term home health care. This falls into the realm of Long Term Care Insurance.
It's important to determine the type of help needed. Is the need for someone to drive your aging parent to a doctor's appointment, grocery shop, and make a meal? Or, is there a need for someone more medically qualified to care for health related needs. This is important when deciding where to go to get help.
Once some of the basic needs are defined, finding the right home health person is the next step. Several options are:
Personal referrals from friends and relatives
Local community based organizations such as religious organizations or local councils on aging.
Home Health Care agencies
Home Health Care registries
The difference between an agency and a registry is that the workers for an agency are their employees. A registry lists independent contractors. This can be an important distinction.
Another factor to consider other than cost (which will be the subject of my next blog) is whether anyone is available to supervise the aide. Unfortunately, the elderly are very vulnerable and easily taken advantage of, especially if they aren't feeling well. Hiring someone from an agency, although admittedly more expensive, may be the better way to go if there isn't anyone around to pay attention.
Maybe there was an era when multi-generations of the family all lived close by and there were plenty of people to take care of an aging relative. For many, this just doesn't exist any longer and other options need to be explored when a family member needs assistance.
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