Where can you find the best resources for senior care? As the years go by, we discover that our parents need a little more help than they used to. Perhaps an illness has afflicted a beloved family member who wants to stay at home rather than be moved to a care facility. Maybe we are the ones realizing that we're getting older and unable to care for ourselves properly. Whichever the case, finding quality and reputable home care for seniors can be a challenge.
Good
Home Helpers Home Care has offered care for over 25 years, including services for military veterans and their loved ones. They operate over 300 locations in 39 states across the country.
Fewer locations to choose from
To find a location in your area, enter your city or ZIP code and you'll see a photo of a map with pinned Home Helpers locations. According to an online search, the company is currently offering service in 39 states and Washington DC.
How to set up care
Home Helpers will provide a free in-home care assessment to discuss your needs and the services they offer. Just fill in the form on the website with your name, contact information, location of needed care, care recipient's name and phone number, and what assistance is needed. Once they have received your request, they will call to gather more information and schedule a time for your free assessment to create a Cared-4 Customized Care Plan to meet your unique needs. When the care starts, a representative will accompany the caregiver and review the plan in person. Following that, the Home Helpers representative will visit from time to time when the caregiver is in your loved one's home to assess if care needs to be adjusted.
Non-medical options in your home
Care can be scheduled for just a few hours or around the clock to accommodate your unique needs. Home Helpers only gives you what you need; there are no packages you must sign up to receive. Services provided by them include respite care (giving a caregiver a break), companionship (spending time and being social), specialized care, wellness calls, 24/7 live-in care, nutrition and meal planning, and home safety assessment.
Monitoring for your loved one
If you decide that in-home care is more than you need for your loved one but still want to have peace of mind regarding his or her wellbeing, Home Helpers offers a variety of monitoring devices. There are even ones with GPS tracking and fall sensors. We love that they offer these options for seniors who would like to retain more of their independence while keeping their loved ones assured of their wellbeing.
Experienced caregivers matched to your situation
Professional and attentive, the caregivers from Home Helpers have been extensively background checked, well-trained, and insured. These experienced caregivers are compassionate and caring, having been specifically chosen for your loved one's care. Additionally, they receive ongoing training and advanced certifications from Home Helpers to improve their skill sets and make them the best at what they do.
Other services offered
Home Helpers not only provides care for seniors, but they also provide services to support working parents with managing responsibilities and childcare, new mothers with newborn care and household tasks, and anyone who needs recuperative care as a result of surgery or injury. Continuing care is also offered for those managing chronic conditions to aid with daily living. Military services include many of the same for seniors but also add homemaker services, disability home care and end of life care.
Helpful questions to consider
On the Home Helpers website, one list we found particularly thoughtful was "What to Ask a Home Care Agency." This short article offered helpful suggestions as you conduct interviews for in-home senior care helpers.
Small number of reviews are positive
As with many franchised locations, each individual Home Helpers agency is listed separately by the BBB. The ones we saw either had no rating or "A+" with no complaints, so that's promising. Across online review platforms, we were pleased to see mainly positive reviews with ratings averaging between 4.0 to 4.8 out of 5 stars (although it was from a pool of only a few hundred experiences spread across the country). Pleased customers have said the company is a "blessing" and highly recommended with "very professional" and "attentive and patient" caregivers. Negative reviews rant about workers on their cell phones or outside smoking instead of paying attention to the client, referring to those caregivers as a "revolving door of individuals" inexperienced and unable to care for the client. With franchised locations varying, we recommend looking up reviews and listings from the BBB for your closest agency.
Just above average
We love the non-medical care options offered by the highly-reviewed staff at Home Helpers, but their lack of nationwide presence means it may be harder to find a location near you. That lands this senior care option a slightly above average rating from us.
Continued from above...
As the years go by, we discover that our parents need a little more help than they used to. Perhaps an illness has afflicted a beloved family member who wants to stay at home rather than be moved to a care facility. Maybe we are the ones realizing that we're getting older and unable to care for ourselves properly. Whichever the case, finding quality and reputable home care for seniors can be a challenge.
The purpose of senior home care is to keep people in the environment where they are most comfortable and familiar. This "aging in place" is preferred by 9 out of 10 older adults, compared to moving into a senior facility or assisted living. Services exist to help aging individuals to live with dignity as they are treated with respect by caregivers who practice compassionate personal care. They can help by bathing clients, assisting with meal preparation, and reminding them to take medication - all non-medical tasks.
Additionally, these types of companies make it possible for older people to remain independent and mobile with help even just a few hours a week. An estimated 41% of American adults over the age of 75 may be living alone. By providing transportation to appointments, getting groceries, or even playing a game of cards together, home caregivers can offer companionship and assistance to seniors who are isolated from family who may be hundreds of miles away.
Those who are already taking care of a loved one know how hard it can be. To help prevent burnout for caregivers who are often working another job and taking care of their own young families, respite care is an option offered by many companies. The service can be utilized on a one-time or recurring basis to provide a break for the nearly 1 in 5 Americans providing unpaid care for a relative.
And, sometimes professional medical care is required. In-home health care is available from some providers to avoid unnecessary trips to the doctor's office or hospital. If your loved one requires specialized care, be sure to look for nurses and other skilled medical service caregivers.
There are many factors to consider when looking at care for your aging loved one. Here are the top criteria on our list:
At Top Consumer Reviews, we want to help you make an informed decision regarding the best care options for your senior loved one (or yourself). To that end, we have reviewed and ranked some of today's most popular services - so you can identify the best home care available in your area and get assistance as soon as possible.
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