When someone mentions Home Care, there is a wide range of services they may be offering and sometimes it can be difficult to figure out what those services are. This is intended as guide to give you more information about the names of the services and which one might be right for you.

It’s important to remember that home care is different than a Home Health Agency, these agencies primarily focus on skilled medical care at the home that a standard care provider cant give. Make sure to call and discuss with a company exactly what type services they provide, as well as research that they are a reputable company.

Home Care will basically fall into two categories: Companion Care and Personal Care. When you are talking about Companion Care this is usually a less intensive, non-medical type service. This often includes activities like taking care of a pet, driving to Doctors appointments or any errand for that matter, light household cleaning, preparing of meals, grocery shopping, washing dishes or clothes and watering plants. One of the most underrated services they can provide is simple companionship, whether that is playing cards, going on walks or simply a warm smile, it can make all the difference. We all have to deal with loneliness or isolation, but these problems can acutely affect us, as we get older.  Companion Care can be a great service to alleviate some loneliness, as well provide some basic help.

Personal Care is slightly different, they will generally provide all of the services covered by Companion Care, in addition to more hands on services like help with taking medication, bathing and dressing. Personal Care is usually for people who require a much higher degree of assistance rather than merely help with chores and appointments.

It is important not to expect more from a caregiver than what they have been trained to do. Make sure to have a frank discussion before hiring someone about what they are and are not able to perform in the execution of their job. It can be a little scary for some people to invite a stranger into their home, it is important to research any company you hire for Home Care to have a good reputation. However, it’s also important to remember that most of the time caregivers very warm, good people who love what they do and provide a lot of assistance, either for you or a loved one. 

Peter Gietl is Denver based writer with Senior Directory