People often misunderstand the meaning behind “long-term care,” thinking that it only applies to assisted living and skilled nursing facilities. In fact, long-term care is a broad term that also applies to services provided to seniors “aging in place,” i.e., staying at home rather than entering a care facility. There are a number of these services available, and they vary to suit an individual’s needs.
Companion Care
While many long-term care services concentrate on meeting an individual’s physical needs, companion care Westchester County focuses more on emotional needs. Elderly people who live alone are at risk of becoming isolated, which can negatively effect both physical and mental health. Companion care involves spending time with the client a few times a week for socialization: taking walks, playing games, or just having a conversation.
Personal Care
Personal care involves assisting with activities of daily living that do not involve medical care. Helping with tasks such as dressing and grooming fall under the category of personal care.
Homemaker Services
Homemaker services involve helping with daily tasks that are not as personal, such as light housekeeping or preparing meals.
Home Health Care
If an individual has a specific medical condition, a physician may order home health care services. A registered nurse typically comes to a person’s residence to perform examinations and administer medical care as needed.
Senior Transportation
Sometimes a senior citizen can function fine within his or her own home but has issues preventing him or her from driving. This makes it difficult to get to and from medical appointments, shopping trips, etc. Senior transportation services assist the elderly in getting where they need to go to take care of their various needs and obligations.
With the exception of home health care, which has to be administered by a registered nurse, there can be significant overlap between many of these services. For example, someone who provides companion care may also provide senior transportation and/or homemaker services.