Different Types of the Health Care for the Elderly
As people age, they develop different healthcare needs. Sometimes people are not able to care for themselves and may need additional support or help with taxing medical conditions. With the influx of Baby Boomers turning 60, there has been an increase in the need for alternative healthcare services. As a result, various types of healthcare have developed to offer assistance to this growing population.
Home Healthcare
Home healthcare is a very popular type of healthcare for elderly patients. Home healthcare offers services, such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, nursing, home health aide and social work. This type of healthcare is commonly provided to elderly that are discharged from hospitals or rehab facilities. However, it is also provided to elderly that need some extra help managing their care at home for a short period of time. Home healthcare staff are usually only at the patients' home for about an hour and do not provide extended services. The services are ordered by a physician and insurance will cover the majority of the cost.
In Home Health
Although in home health sounds similar to home healthcare, they are actually two different entities. Home healthcare is offered to patients that need nurses or a certified nursing assistant (CNA) for several hours at a time. According to Spectrum Healthcare, the service also offers a sitter or medical attendant who is medically trained to provide help with watching over a person while the caregiver takes a rest. This service is frequently used by the elderly and their families that want to care for their loved ones at home so that they do not have to be placed into a nursing home. However, this service can be costly and is rarely covered by insurance companies.
Adult Day Care
Adult day care is a program utilized by many elderly and their families. The program offers a safe haven for the elderly individual to go while the caregiver gets a break or goes to work. Healthcare is also provided by the adult day care service through a registered nurse. The nurse can help to monitor the patient and can ensure that the patient takes their needed medication and eats the appropriate meals and types of food. This program is covered by Medicaid in most states, but private insurance companies and Medicare do not cover this service.
Tele-health
Tele-health is a relatively new program that has developed out of a need for monitoring people with hard to control or chronic health conditions. Physicians make a referral to a home health company that has a tele-health program and the patient is admitted. A monitoring device is installed in the home and the patient is called on previously scheduled days of the week. Information on weight, blood sugar and vital signs is transmitted to the tele-health manager. The information is then sent to the physician for him to review. It is proving to be an excellent way to keep track of and improve the outcome of chronic and difficult to control illness. It is also helping to reduce the need for frequent emergency room visits or hospital stays.
Nursing Homes
Nursing homes are usually a last resort for care for the elderly and their families. Nursing homes are used to care for individuals that due to illness, injury or advanced age that are no longer able to care for themselves. These individuals usually need some type of skilled services, such nursing, physical therapy or speech therapy. A nursing home will fully care for the individual allowing the caregiver rest from this duty. Nursing homes can be used for extended stay or short-term stays that ultimately end in the person returning back home. Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance companies will usually cover a certain number of days in one of these facilities if deemed medically necessary.
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