Understanding the Different Types of Elderly Care Services Available

Whether looking for care for your loved one or just researching options, it’s important to understand the different types of elderly care services available.

Skilled care refers to medical services provided by licensed medical personnel. In contrast, custodial care helps seniors with daily tasks like bathing and dressing or instrumental activities of daily living such as cooking, cleaning and shopping.

Home Care

Home care is any form of expert assistance that enables a person to remain securely at home, whether they require help managing ongoing medical conditions or recovering from a recent medical setback. Services may be rendered on a temporary or permanent basis.

A wide range of daily duties, such as meal preparation, transportation, housekeeping, and more, can be performed by home caregivers. They can help with toileting, clothing, and other personal care requirements. They can also take your loved one on errands and provide social opportunities. They can help a few hours per day up to 24-hour care.

A physician typically directs home health care and is partly covered by Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance. It includes the support of nurses and therapists, homemakers, and home health aides. This type of home care can help individuals avoid moving into a nursing facility or long-term care center. You can find home healthcare agencies through referrals from friends or family members, community online forums and reputable websites like Angie’s List.

Nursing Care

Long-term care facilities provide 24-7 medical support to elders who can no longer live independently. They may be a temporary solution for an elder who needs intensive medical assistance after surgery or injury or permanent arrangements for elderly residents who require continuing health care and rehabilitation services.

Residential care facilities are a popular option for elderly care New Jersey. Often referred to as board and care, assisted living, or community-based retirement care, these residences provide comprehensive help with daily living activities, some health services, meals, and social and recreational programs.

Skilled nursing care is medical care that requires a trained or licensed medical professional to perform a task, such as administering medication or providing wound care. Custodial care is the non-medical support with housekeeping tasks like cooking and laundry and instrumental activities of daily living like bathing and dressing. Memory care centers provide 24-hour supervision and individualized care to older adults with Alzheimer’s or other types of dementia.

Respite Care

Caregiving is a demanding job, and caregivers need to have time off. Respite care is a great solution that allows family caregivers to go to work, run errands, attend events and even vacation without worry.

Caregivers can get respite care from friends, relatives, community and faith-based groups, or paid providers. Informal respite care is non-professional and usually occurs at a person’s home from someone they trust, such as a friend or relative. It can range from a few hours to a week or more.

Another option is residential respite care, which takes place in a care facility outside of the home, like an adult day care center or a long-term care residence. It includes meals, social interaction and various therapies for the care recipient. Long-term care insurance typically covers the cost. Short-term stays are also available. Assisted living facilities may offer respite stays, too. This stay can be for a few days or longer and often includes medication assistance, meals and help with daily activities.

Long-Term Care

At some time in their lives, seven out of ten people will require long-term care. Long-term care aims to assist people in overcoming the limits imposed by chronic sickness or impairments. This can include mental or physical disabilities like depression, memory loss, difficulties moving, or loss of balance.

While you would see long-term care as akin to nursing home care, several options fit into this category. Personal emergency response systems, for instance, enable people to live freely in their homes while getting help with daily tasks and medical emergencies.