It’s sometimes complicated to look at the different types of care options available these days and determine exactly what type most fits your elderly family member’s needs. End-of-life and home health care are easy to confuse because there are similarities between the two options. But the differences are significant, and it really does matter which type of care your senior most needs.
Home Health Care Is about Recovering and Regaining Function
With home health care, your elderly family member may have a chronic health issue that needs temporary management. She may also have recently had surgery or sustained an injury. The major goal of home health care is to help your elderly family member to recover as fully as possible and to regain her ability to function and to manage activities of daily living.
End-of-life Care Is about Comfort at the End of Life
In the case of end-of-life care, your senior is more likely to be nearing the end of her life and most likely in a battle with a severe and possibly progressive illness. This type of care is usually recommended when your family member has six months or fewer in her expected lifespan. The major goal is to keep your senior as comfortable as possible and to offer her the highest quality of life.
Both Types of Care Are Ultimately about Meeting Needs
With both of these types of care, the focus is on assessing and meeting your senior’s needs in this moment and working to meet some goals for improving her situation as much as possible. Keeping her safe and offering her the assistance that she needs is what helps to meet those needs. Home health care, for instance, offers your senior skilled nursing care, wound care, speech therapy, physical therapy, and more depending on what challenges she is facing.
Both Also Have Eligibility Requirements
Each of these types of care is distinct in its requirements. With end-of-life care, your senior’s doctor must certify her expected remaining lifespan to be six months or fewer, although she can recertify as necessary. With home health care, your elderly family member must be considered homebound. That means she’s unable to leave her home without significant assistance. Home health care is a short-term care solution geared toward improving function quickly.
With Both Types of Care, Your Senior Has a Team
There’s a team supporting you and your senior with both of these types of care. That can relieve a great deal of stress for you and other family members, helping to cope with the situation your senior is facing. As your senior’s needs change, the team members may also fluctuate, offering her exactly the type of assistance that she needs in order to meet her goals.
If you’re wondering if home health care might be the right next step for your senior, make sure to bring it up with her doctor. Certification from her doctor is going to be the fastest way to get started with home health care services.