Home sick care is the oldest form of medical care. Currently, many social and health services can be provided at home. Whether a person is receiving cancer treatment, is recovering from this disease, or has advanced disease, home care may be an option. Through home care, you can receive professional and compassionate health care in your home, instead of the hospital or some other institution.
Types of home care agencies
Many providers offer home care services, including:
- Homecare Agencies
- Hospices
- Agencies of housekeepers and assistance in domestic work
- Agencies or private service personnel
- Companies providing medical equipment and supplies
Pharmaceutical or medicinal infusion companies at home
Some home care providers are professionals who do not work for any kind of agency. Some agencies keep records of workers and professionals for hiring for home care jobs. Sometimes, several types of home care providers can collaborate with a company to provide a wide range of services.
Homecare Agencies
If you require expert home care services, you will generally receive them through a home care agency. The same agency can offer different home care services through nurses, therapists, social workers, housekeepers and home care assistants, medical equipment, medical supply providers and volunteers.
A few agencies bound their services till nursing and one or two rest of the specialties. For those cases in which more than one specialist is needed, home care agencies will establish a team to provide care that meets their needs. Home care agencies recruit and supervise their staff; therefore, they assume responsibility for all care. Home care services are usually available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, although most services are performed during daylight hours whenever possible.
Agencies of housekeepers and assistance in domestic work
These agencies help patients with meal preparation and provide assistance in bathing, dressing and cleaning the house. In addition, the staff of these agencies accompanies patients who cannot remain alone for medical or safety reasons. This is sometimes called “escort service.” Some states require that these agencies obtain a license and comply with certain standards of care.
Pharmaceutical and infusion therapy companies
These companies provide medicines, equipment, and nursing services for people who need intravenous fluids, nutrition, or home treatments. In addition, they offer special feeding through tubes that are placed in the stomach or intestine (tube feeding). Nurses teach patients and family members to administer these medicines, liquids or food at home. They often go through the home to ensure that everything is going well. In addition, you can call them anytime there is a problem. Some pharmaceutical and infusion therapy companies are Medicare-accredited home care agencies.
Agencies for private service personnel records
Private service agencies provide nursing services, housekeepers, housework assistance and companion service. In most cases, these agencies do not have a license or are not regulated by the government. Often, personnel records function as employment agencies for nurses and home care assistants; They look for a patient that corresponds to their experience and charge fees for this search. When you hire someone who has been found by a registry, it is practically the same as if you hired it yourself (the person works for you and it is you who pays you). As an employer, you may also have to pay payroll taxes, Social Security and unemployment insurance.
Independent suppliers
Independent providers are made up of nurses, therapists, assistants, housekeepers and companions who are employed privately by people who need their services. The patient or family has to recruit, hire and organize these providers. The patient or family pays them directly, and they may also be responsible for payroll taxes, Social Security and unemployment insurance.
