A Homecare Guide

 

Volume 58. Homecare, Getting Help to Live at Home

 

Chapter 1. Medical and Nonmedical Homecare

 

Homecare 1

 

Oftentimes, family members and friends provide homecare.  Professional homecare ranges from licensed nurses for home health care to maids who come in and do some cleaning.  There are intermediate workers called homecare workers, home helpers or homecare aides who can do some medical things like bathe the patient and bring him his meds but they can't do things only licensed nurses are allowed to do like give injections.

 

If your family member is going to be looked after at home, you may need to make some changes around the house to keep him safe and comfortable in his or her limited state.

 

Just like public buildings must be made accessible to disabled people, so too can a home be customized to accommodate a disabled person like:

 

Get him a cellphone so he can call someone in case of emergency.

 

Get your family member a medical alarm connected to a monitoring service.

 

Have doorways widened so that a wheelchair can easily go through.

 

Install handrails in the bathroom and maybein the haIl.

 

Install a ramp so he can get in and out of the house.

 

Put down non-skid flooring.

 

Put a special high seat on the toilet if the person has trouble sitting down and standing up.

 

Get a hospital bed which can be elevated electronically.

 

Some of the possible healthcare treatments available through homecare by qualified people without having to go to a hospital are:

 

Basic nursing care.

 

Catheterization.

 

Chemotherapy.

 

Diabetes management

 

IV (intravenous) therapy.

 

Kidney dialysis.

 

Laboratory collection of blood, urine and other bodily specimens for testing.

Medication administratrion.

 

Medication assessment, management and monitoring.

 

Palliative care (pain control).

 

Physiotherapy, occupational therapy, respiration therapy such as home ventilators and home oxygen therapy programs.

 

Post-operative rehabilitation

 

Social Work.

 

Speech-language pathology, audiology.

 

Beware of any homecare worker you hire for non-medical tasks.  Even though the medical homecare workers like nurses are usually reputable because they don't want to jeapordize their medical licenses that they worked so hard for, a homecare worker could be anyone off the street who might have taken a basic three week course and gotten a license so be wary.  Some are great, some are crooks.

 

Some personal care services that a homecare worker or any family member could do without being qualified medically are:

 

Help with bathing, grooming, dressing, etc.Home chores such as cleaning, shopping, cooking meals and laundry.

 

Home maintenance; shovelling snow, cutting grass, calling the electrician, etc.

 

Drive person around town.

 

Social visiting.

 

Routine telephone calls to check up on the person.

 

Money affairs.

 

Child care.

 

Meals on wheels, meals delivered, givemeals.com, 800-999-6262.

 

Respite care to relieve family caregivers which is an adult daycare service for adults, either:

 

Sitting services where a volunteer or worker comes and stays with the patient:

 

Adult day care center, where a homecare patient can be sent for several hours either on a regular basis, ranging from every day to once a week or here and there whenever you want.

 

Facility placement, the patient is admitted to an extended care facility for a few days or weeks while the family takes a break.

 

Organized group activities like going to a bridge game twice a week.

 

Homecare Magazine

Pob 8987

Malibu, Ca 90265-8987

800-543-4116

homecaremag.com

 

Homecare 2

 

There are over 20,000 licensed home health agencies in the United States that provide home workers to help out in either an elderly or disabled person's home.

 

Medicare certifies over 8000 of them with their standards.  You can get a referral at medicare.gov.

 

In order for home health care to be covered by Medicare, you have to apply, they'll check you out through what they call an assessment to see if you qualify.

 

The standards are stringent.  You need at least intermittent care by an RN in order to get coverage.  You have to be genuinely homebound.

 

Some of these home health agencies are for profit, some are non-profit.  Some are private, some are run by either a hospital or the local government.  Some of the non-profit ones are run by churches and service organizations.

 

There's no foolproof way to find a good homecare agency.  The social worker at the hospital might know one.  Maybe your priest or rabbi know a good one.  Look in the phone book under Home Health Care or Homecare.

 

Some home health care workers have taken courses and are are certified to do basic medical things but others are simply people off the street who took a very basic housekeeping course to be called a housekeeping aide and that's it.

 

Whether you pick one from a phone book, tack an ad up at your local supermarket or go through any other way, ask them to send at least three over for an interview because personal relations are important.

 

You'll be in the same house doing intimate things with each other so you want to pick someone personable you can be compatible with.

 

Ask the homecare agency if they do criminal background checks on their employees and if they're bonded.  Many people can act charming but be mean-spirited and scheming to steal money underneath the façade.  I saw several cases of this on an investigative journalism TV show.

 

If you don't want to use a home health care agency, you can place an ad in the newspaper or on a bulletin board near where you live asking for someone to come in and help you with the regular tasks of life.  Describe yourself, state your age and illness if applicable and state whether you want a live-in aide or a part-timer.

 

Although you can find good workers who live near you, you might also find crooks so you should get a background check done at the local police dept if hiring someone this way.  Simply call them, explain the situation and ask them to run your new potential employee.

 

Once you find someone, draw up a contract outlining all specific duties.  Pay is generally a dollar or two above minimum wage because it's an unskilled job and relatively easy to boot.

 

You're supposed to contact the IRS to get an employer identification number, withhold taxes and pay the government.  Call 800-tax-form, irs.gov and get Publication 926, Household Employment Taxes.

 

Some homecare aides help out with medical things, some with administrative and domestic things and some do it all.

 

There are several categories all the way from live-in nurse to home aide which is someone who gets a certificate after taking a few weeks of courses about how to clean and cook.

 

If you hire somebody off the street, they'll generally clean, cook, go to the store for you, wash the dishes and the clothes, answer the phone and take messages, talk to you, go for walks and do other minor things.

 

Nurses give injections, pills, bathe patients, help the bed-ridden relieve waste by sliding a pot under them, etc.

 

Hospitals are generally not good places to stay at because of the negative connotations associated with illness and nursing homes aren't that far behind.  In the old days, illness and dying was a family affair that happened at home.

 

Only recently, has the medical community brainwashed us into going to the hospital and staying there no matter what to rack up the bills but as people are becoming more educated, they're going back to the old way to treat illness and dying at home where it belongs with the family around as opposed to the sterile, impersonal, insensitive aura of the hospital.

 

It's better for the patient and better for the family members to deal with it and grieve in a more personable atmosphere immediately after death.  In a nutshell, help the person die with dignity.

 

Dying in old age should be a private affair so it's better achieved at home than at a hospital.  It's also better to get rid of the pragmatic hassles like going to the hospital, finding a parking spot, out of town folk renting hotel rooms, etc.

 

There's also a closer connection and more a sense of closure when you live through the process with your loved one.  If nothing more can be done at the hospital, you should consider getting out and living the remaining months in peace.  You can even reverse the process with the mind/ body connection and hang on longer than expected.

 

Many people with terminal illnesses choose to live out their remaining days at home rather than at the hospital connected to a bunch of tubes.

 

Many people with debilitating conditions also choose to remain at home rather than go to a nursing home or a hospital.  It's more emotionally gratifying and much less expensive than health care outside the home.

 

Check out some alternative medicine books (#615.5 at the library) about how to beat illness through peace of mind and laughter.

 

Homecare 3

 

Home health care workers perform daily tasks such as running errands, performing light household tasks, transporting the senior to appointments, companionship, help with bathing, eating, etc.

 

Home care is not for everyone.  If you need around the clock personal care, you should stay in the hospital.  If you have a severe disability, you might alienate your loved ones by putting the burden on them to care for you at home.  There are cases of relatives who euthanize the unsuspecting sick person just to escape the stress of it all.

 

If you can get by without hospital care and have medical help close by, you should consider going home.  Studies have shown that virtually all manner of people with all kinds of illnesses can get by at home but you have to demand it and don't let the hospital snow you and try to keep you there.

 

If you're at the hospital, ask for a Discharge Plan where you can go home and get the regularly scheduled outpatient care from there.  Try to find a doctor who specializes in Homecare Services to make up a plan for you and/ or get a referral to a Visiting Nurse Service where a nurse comes to visit you either daily or weekly.

 

Even less expensive are social workers, home health aides or live-in housesitter companions.  Some agencies have volunteers who'll come help you out for free.

 

You might even get services like Meals On Wheels, givemeals.com, 800-999-6262 and home aides who'll come by for a few hours everyday to help you out.

 

Get medical books at #610-619 at the library.  Make one room at home the hospital room. That's where the patient is, his bed, medical equipment, medical charts, etc.  Keep current on his medical condition.

 

Keep a diary of treatment and learn about the drugs he takes.  Try to learn about the patient's condition and how to care for him.  There are many good medical books out there.

 

Get a first aid kit and an incline bed if necessary.  Take a first aid course.  Contact your local Red Cross about it.

 

Freshen the room up with flowers, music, religious icons and pictures of his loved ones.  Keep it clean.  Get a pet for the patient.  Touch them and talk to them.  Get some religious people to come and visit regularly.

 

Use discretion when bringing children in.  Explain to them that people get sick and die when they get old.  Make it climate controlled with ample heat and air conditioning.  Make a one page chart with all the important phone numbers on it.

 

Get emergency dial for the bedside phone where he can call 911 just by pressing one key or get a Medical Alert system, an alarm you wear as a necklace or a watch.  Medical insurance should pay for some of your homecare medical needs.

 

All Medicare beneficiaries can receive home health care benefits.  To get Medicare home health care:

 

Your doctor must decide you need it and make a plan for it.

 

You must need at least one of the following: intermittent and not fulltime skilled nursing care, physical therapy or speech language pathology services.

 

You must be homebound, meaning you are normally unable to leave home and when you leave, it must be a major effort.

 

The home health care agency caring for you must be approved by Medicare.

 

If you meet the above four criteria, you can get a lot of assistance through Medicare.  Get the free booklet from Medicare.  Refer to your state health insurance assistance office for more info.

 

Medicare Bureau of Eligibility,

Reimbursement and Coverage

Health Care  Financing Administration

7500 Security Blvd.

Baltimore, Md 21244-1850

800-Medicare

877-486-2048, Tdd

medicare.gov

Free booklet Medicare and Home Home Health Care.

 

The most important factors of all are to find a good physician who'll visit the home and talk to you about the patient's condition, be ready for undignified things like having to change the patient's diapers and dealing with waste matter, have a sense of humor and try to get the patient out of the house if at all possible.

 

Encourage some form of exercise.  Learn how to move the helpless patient.  Buy devices that encourage comfort like an incline bed and a little table like device to eat and read on.

 

Comfortably Yours

2515 East 43rd St.

Chattanooga, Tn 37422

800-521-0097

Support devices for people with disabilities.

 

Learn how to bathe and feed the helpless patient.  Ease boredom with conversation, visits from friends, pets, music, games, activities, crafts, light gardening, reading, praying, volunteer work like telephone solicitation for a charity, etc.

 

If you get a homecare provider, check them out first and never let them take over.  You're the boss, you pay them, you're in your own home.  Don't give them access to your bank account.

 

Watch out for dramatic changes in the patient's everyday demeanor and medical condition.  If he gets depressed, coax him out of it.  Don't fester a morbid atmosphere in the house and don't put a guilt trip on him.  Don't let him put a guilt trip on you.

 

Act out of love and respect for what he once was to you.  It'll be a day to day routine/ grind.  Check to see if there's a local support group around for his disease where he can go and talk to other people going through the same thing as he is.

 

Cable TV/ satellite TV is a great babysitter.  Many people comfortably live out their last years as permanent, complacent boobaholics.  It's not that bad a life.  It keeps the mind occupied and stops the patient from thinking about negative things.

 

For interaction with others, try shortwave/ ham/ CB radio where you can talk to others over the air waves.  Or get him a computer to talk on the internet.

 

Feed the patient simple, nutritious meals.  No more booze and cigarettes.  Give them privacy.  Don't be above getting them adult literature so they that can derive some pleasure from masturbation.  Get them some magazines and videos and ignore it after that.  It's probably one of the few pleasures they have left in life.

 

Home care for the terminally ill is probably the best way to go.  Hospices are one step up from hospitals but homecare is still best if you have a family who cares for you.

 

If you're dying or you know someone who's dying, unless it's imperative that they stay in the hospital, quite simply, tell the doctors that you would like to die at home and make the proper arrangements to get out of the hospital and continue with some kind of medical care at home.

 

You might confront ethical dilemmas like you might consider letting them die rather than endure the pain and the limited state they're living in.  Think long and hard before you decide on any mercy killing or assisted suicide scheme.

 

When you feel death is near, take everyone close to you in by themselves and tell them good bye in your own way.  Have all your paperwork ready and in order.  Have your funeral arrangements ready.

 

You might want the family with you in the same room or you might want to be with just your spouse or alone when you die.  It's up to you.  I say spare them the indignities, keep your death simple and private.  The best way to die is in your sleep if possible, just never wake up.

 

Once he dies, wait awhile and make sure he's dead because EMS will just cart him away even if he still could be alive.  It's your choice to either call EMS or the undertaker directly or in over 30 states, you're allowed to keep the body at home and do your own funeral.

 

Accept the death of the body and try to believe that the soul is off in another, better place.  Take time for grief and bereavement.  Supposedly it takes five years to get over the death of a loved one.

 

Look up Home Health Services in your local phone book.  Your best bet is to find a doctor who specializes in homecare, contact your local health and human services offices for referrals and find a support group.

 

Home health care books are at #649.8 and RC108 at the library.  Books about dying at home are at #362.196 or R726.8 at the library.

 

aarp.org/home_mod_1.html, home modification.

abledata.com, 800 227 0216

 

Resident Care Info

 

Resident Care has two meanings:

 

It is like assisted living except that they have doctors and nurses on staff while some assisted living facilities don't.  People live in a nursing home type of facility where they're taken care of medically, fed, their beds made, etc.

Some companies offer "resident care" services like delivering drugs, food, nursing care, etc. to them.

 

thecareguide.com, the care guide

find retirement and nursing homes, home care and other seniors services

windsorpoint.com, care home; retire in beautiful north carolina great weather thetillers.com, tillers health care residence, the nursing home that provides long-term health care services for senior citizens.

residential-care-homes.aplaceformom.com, a comprehensive directory of residential care homes and elderly home care.

thehickman.org/resident_care.php

ecresidences.org, european care residences

helpguide.org/elder/senior_housing_residential_care_types.htm, senior housing and care

touchmarkbend.com/residential-care

willcountyillinois.com/departmentdirectory/sunnyhillnursinghome/residentcareservices/tabid/208/default.aspx

trinityvillage.com/content/resident-care

resident care; trinity village

residentcarenotes.com

hospicecareflorida.org/resident-care.php, bougainvilla resident care

assistedlivingfacilities.org/blog/category/resident-care, resident care - assisted living facilities

theguardianblog.com/articles/nursing-homes/resident-care, resident care the guardian blog

agedcarecrisis.com

agedcarecrisis.com/residents-rights

thecarpenterhospice.com/resident-care.php

mcknights.com/resident-care/topic/669, resident care - mcknight's long term care news, long-term care magazine for owners and operators of nursing homes, continuing care retirement communities

nehealth.com/home_care, northeast health

westwood.belmontvillage.com/lifestyle/resident-care-services, resident care services; lifestyle choices; belmont village.

pcalcc.com/learn-more/residential-care.html, port charles-resident care

nursinghomesmagazine.com

local-nursing-homes.com

stmargarethall.com/resident_care.htm, st. margaret hall resident care and services

skillednursingfacilities.org/blog/category/nursing-home-resident-care, nursing home resident care; skilled nursing facilities

 

Check Out a Homecare Worker

 

If you decide to hire a homecare worker through private means rather than through a certified agency, before you invite him or her into your home to take care of you, you might consider investing a few hundred dollars in doing a background check.

 

The local police might do it for free.  If not, look in your phone book under Private Investigation or Detective and ask for a Background Check.  The following organizations sell records on people usually to employers checking potential employees out;

 

About ten states have websites where you can access the criminal records of people you might want to investigate.  Most states will let you check on someone's criminal record with their permission.

 

Try #363.2336 or HV6762 at the library for books on the subject.

 

searchsystems.net, free links to public records databases.

uschamber.com/sb/screening/0512_questhtm

 

1800ussearch.com

aaronspi.com/background-check.htm

aboutbackgroundcheck.com uniquebackgroundchecks.com accuratecredit.com

affiliatesuccess.net

americanbackground.com

backgroundcheckusa.com

backgroundsearcher.com

background-us.com, 800-697-7189

badreferences.com

checkthatbackground.com

cinnamond-global.com, global background checks

civil-files.com

compliancedepot.net/index.html, lien and judgment check, business license verification.

courtrecords.org

courtsrecords.org

criminalrecordsearch.com

criminalrecordssite.com

criminalscreening.com

datesandlove.com

debtcheck.com detectivetoday.com

employeescreen.com

emycriminalrecord.com ethicscheck.com

fdle.state.fl.us/criminalhistory/, (850) 410-8572

free-public-records.big.com

hire-safe.com, background checks, drug testing and integrity assesment profiles.

holmesdetective.com, ny state.

identi-check.com/services.asp  criminalwatchdog.com

infoindustry.org.

informus.com

integrascan.com

intelius.com

iwantmymoney.com/ecb/creditchecking/consumer_credichecking.asp

knowx.com

knowx.com

las-elc.org/lcriminalrecords.pdf

megascreening.com

nationalbackgrounddata.com

netdetective.com

official-certificates.co.uk

peoplesearch.com

personbackgroundcheck.com/site2/criminalrecord/

pfcinformation.com, 212-580-7077, background checks.

publicbackgroundchecks.com

publicrecordlookup.com

public-records-now.com

rapsheets.com

records.com

records-search.net references-etc.com

rmvrecords.org, driving records.

safespy.net

search-detective.net

searchforanyone.org

securecheckinc.com

thecriminalrecordcentre.com

ussearch.com

webdetective.com

webinvestigator9.org

whitepages.com

yellowbook.com

 

Butler/ Personal Assistant/ Household Manager

 

If you're in pretty good shape, you don't need a medical homecare worker.  Hire a personal assistant instead.

 

If there are no butlers or personal assistants around in your neck of the woods, contact a homecare company and hire one of their homecare workers to help you around the house.

 

butlerintl.com, butler international.

butlersguild.com

ehow.com, article how to hire a butler.

headbutler.com

magnumsbutlers.com

modernbutlers.com

thebutlerdiditeliteservices.com, sarasota, fl.

butlerwebs.com

 

Best Domestic Services Agency

877-770-2273

 

Chapter 2. Homecare/ Eldercare/ Senior Care Resources

 

Hire a Private Nurse

 

Hiring a nurse is the most expensive of all options.  You only hire one if you need one to do certain medical treatments.  There are cheaper home healthcare workers with different levels of experience.  Some can do some medical tasks.  Some just do routine household activities.

 

You can hire a private nurse by looking in your local phonebook under nursing agency or homecare agency or home healthcare agency.

 

You can ask your doctor or social services worker for a referral.

 

Eldercare Locator

800-677-1116

eldercare.gov

 

nursing-agencies-list.com

nahc.org, assn. for homecare.

nhpco.org, 800-658-8898, palliative care.

vnaa.org, 800-426-2547, visiting nurses.

 

wizvaz.net/oleyfdn, 800-776-oley, feeding by IV or stomach tube.

procareusa.com, the healthcare staffing company, travel nurse agency.

procareusa.com/travel-nursing-agency

joshprakash.com/index.php, nursing agencies and nursing homes in england, offices throughout canada.

nursefindersuk.com/links/index.cfm

aaronagency.com

artmam.net/agency_nurse_travel.htm

aureusmedical.com/html/state_boards_of_nursing/

procareusa.com, the healthcare staffing company, travel nurse agency.

nursingindex.com

allnurse.com

coremedicalgroup.com, travel nurses.

nflpn.org, licensed practical nurses.

patravelnurses.com, pennsylvania.

travelnursing.com

travelnursing.us

travelnursingcentral.com

 

American Travel Nurse/ Therapist

12730 High Bluff Dr.

#400

Sd, Ca 92130

800-282-0300

travelnurse.com

traveltherapist.com

 

National Association for Homecare

519 C Street NE

Washington, DC 20002

202-547-7424

nahc.org

 

National Federation of Licensed

Practical Nurses

893 W. Hwy. 70

#202

Garner, Nc 27529

919-779-0046

Fax: 919-779-5642

nflpn.org

 

Visiting Nurse Assns. of America

3801 E. Florida Ave.

#900

Denver, Co 80210

888-866-8773

800-426-2547

888-426-2547

303-753-0218

Fax: 303-753-0258

vnaa.org

Nonprofit home health care providers and programs like adult daycare centers and meals on wheels, givemeals.com, 800-999-6262.

 

Hire a Home Caregiver

 

You can hire a caregiver through one of the homecare agencies or home healthcare agencies out there.  There's a big line between a health caregiver and a general caregiver.  By law, a general caregiver can't give injections and do other advanced medical skills but they can do quite a lot including taking pills out of bottles and handing them off to the patient.

 

You need somebody who is not going to steal from the patient and who develops a rapport or friendship with them.

 

My best advice is to try to recruit a homeworker through local contacts like at church or through people you know, somebody who possibly needs a place to live and spends five to eight hours a day with the patient or somebody who comes in for eight hours a day, five days a week.  A retired person could do do this job, come in several hours a day then go home.

 

After that, hire someone from a homecare agency.  I don't recommend putting an ad in the newspaper or on craigslist then hiring a total stranger regardless of their references and resume because I've seen scam artists like this on TV real-life crimes shows.  With a good homecare agency, at least they do some kind of background check and you can sue them if need be.

 

Check the homecare agency for complaints through bbb.org, if they're licensed, insured and bonded and how long have they been in business for.

 

They should give you some kind of right to choose your own caregiver from at least three that they give you to try out.

 

If you have a relative who's not doing so hot like a retired, able-bodied divorced aunt, talk to her.  She might move in and do some homecare simply to save on rent money and make a few bucks.

 

There is one other possibility.  This is what they do in Halifax, Nova Scotia where I'm from.  The homecare agencies advertise in rural areas looking to hire women who take a bus to the city, work at someone's house for a month, go home for a month then do it again.

 

For these country women, it's a way to make money and they're more honest than your average city person needing to make a few bucks.  Try an ad in a rural newspaper.

 

Regardless of who you hire, write out all duties clearly.  That makes it legal.  Have them sign a copy attesting they've read it and will honor it.  It's grounds for termination if they don't follow the rules.

 

You legally can't hire someone on a seven-days-a-week basis.  Even a live-in caregiver cannot be expected to be on call 24 hours a day more than five days a week. 

Some people hire two different caregivers everyday.  Others hire a different one for the weekend.

 

I'll give you one last warning about trusting people.  The temptation of money is the root of evil.  They might be good people but if they see the opportunity, the wheels start to turn.  Don't give anyone the opportunity to steal money.  Don't leave any valuables in the house.

 

Check the phone bill for unauthorized long-distance or phone sex calls.

 

Set a limit on how much the caregiver is authorized to spend in buying food and other things.

 

Don't leave cash around the house.

 

Insist on receipts for all purchases.

 

Have mail rerouted elsewhere so the caregiver can't look at it or manipulate it.

 

aoa.gov/prof/aoaprog/caregiver/carefam/taking_care_of_others/wecare/hire.asp, national family caregiver support program.

apria.com/channels/1,2748,93153,00.html, hire a home-care employee.

auntannshomecare.com, aunt ann's elder care and homecare of san francisco, ca.

caregiver.org, hiring in-home help.

ehow.com, how to hire in-homecaregivers.

ehow.com/how_7394_hirehomecaregivers.html, how to hire in-homecaregivers.

foxbusiness.com/markets/industries/media/article/stepshiringhomenurse_477124_15.html, three steps to hiring a home nurse.

hccaintl.com

hiremedical.com/home/services/overview.asp

inhomecare.com

marketwatch.com/news/story/threestepshiringhomenurse/story.aspx

thehomecaredirectory.com

 

Homecare Agency Resources

 

There are over 20,000 licensed home health agencies in the United States that provide home workers to help out in either an elderly or disabled person's home.

 

Medicare certifies over 8000 of them with their standards.  You can get a referral at medicare.gov.

 

Books about Homecare are at #362.14-362.6 or HV1461 and RA645 at the library.

 

Lion's organizations and the Salvation Army have programs that help senior citizens with housing, both renting and buying a house.  Find them in your phonebook.

 

Home health care books are at #649.8 and RC108 at the library.  Books about dying at home are at #362.196 or R726.8 at the library.

 

The easiest way to find homecare services in your area is look in your Yellow Pages.

 

Other than that, call or go to the website for:

 

Eldercare Locator

800-677-1116

eldercare.gov

 

If you call, they'll give you some addresses over the phone.

 

Then there are local search engines like the following:

 

respitematch.com, find a home health aide or agency or caregiver.

alltheservices.com bestplaces.net

byregion.net

decidio.com/local-businesses

findlocalpages.com

city.ask.com/city foundlocally.com

local.com local.truelocal.com

local.live.com

local.yahoo.com

local-list.org

localinternet.com

monsterlocal.com  truelocal.com

reachlocal.com

unitedstates.areaguides.net

zip411.net

zipcodes2.com

looklocally.com

nahc.org, assn. for homecare.

nhpco.org, 800-658-8898, palliative care.

vnaa.org, 800-426-2547, visiting nurses.

wizvaz.net/oleyfdn, 800-776-oley, feeding by IV or stomach tube.

 

Community Health Accreditation Programs, Inc.

350 Hudson St.

Nyc 10014

800-669-9656

chapinc.org

List of accredited homecare organizations.

 

Group Health Assn. of America

624 9th St. Nw

Washington, Dc 20001

Request information about HMO home health care benefits.

 

National Assn. for Homecare

228 7th St. Se

Washington, Dc 20003

202-547-7424

nahc.org

 

Olsten Health Services

800-66nurse

Help with home health care services.

 

Today's Home Healthcare Provider

26 Main St.

Chatham, Nj 07928-2402

Magazine.

 

Homecare Company Lists

 

caregiver.org

thehomecaredirectory.com

osfhomecare.org/hospindex.html respitematch.com, find a home health aide or agency or caregiver.

firstmark.com/fmkcat/homehlth_chains.htm, home healthcare agency chains list.

seniormag.com/services/home_health_care/

americaneldercare.com, florida home and long-term care.

angelshomecare.com

aoa.dhhs.gov/caregivers

aplaceformom.com, 877 mom dads

caregiving.com

caregiver911.com

caregiving.org

catholiceldercare.org

chtop.com/archbroc, 800-473-1727, access to respite care help.

cohousingco.com

e-eldercare.com

eldercare.com

eldercare.gov

eldercare.net, retirement housing, south california.

eldercare.net.au

eldercarelink.com, find local assisted living facilities.

eldercareresourcecenter.com, elder care resource center for seniors with alzheimer's.

eldercareteam.com

elderweb.com/region

homehelpers.cc, north america.

homeinstead.com, home instead senior care, non-medical source of companionship.

janssen-eldercare.com, lots of resource material.

methodisteldercare.org

natl-eldercare-service.com, national eldercare services company.

newlifestyles.com, 800-820-3013, information on retirement communities, assisted living, nursing homes, home and hospice care.

unitedway.org

 

Homecare Companies/ Eldercare Companies

 

Look in your local phonebook for Homecare or Home Health Care companies.  Some national corporations which provides home health care services are:

 

homecareannarbormi.com homecarebedfordtx.com homecareboiseid.com homecarehiltonhead.com homecarelittlerock.com lehighvalleyhomecare.com homewatchcaregivers.com

kankakeehomecare.com greerhomecare.com ballwinhomecare.com homecaremansfieldtx.com homecarenewcastlepa.com homecarestatenisland.com betterlivinghc.net, better living homecare services.

carealternatives.biz, wilmington, nc homecare agency

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/latitudes_home_care_inc.

christelshomecare.com, san francisco, ca.

auntannshomecare.com, aunt ann's elder care and homecare of san francisco, ca.

salemhome.net

homehelpers.com, 800-216-4196

homeinstead.com, 888-484-5759

homewatch-intl.com, 800-777-9770

interim.com, 800-840-6568

staffbuildersintl.com, 800-444-4633

westaff.com, 800-872-8367

eldercarememphis.com, memphis, tn.

eldercareofgreensboro.com, homecare specialists for the elderly greensboro north carolina.

eldercare-solutions.com, raleigh, durham, chapel hill, north carolina.

ga-eldercare.com, georgia eldercare, llc.

good-sam.com/facilities_indepth.cfm, lafayette good samaritan assisted living.

newtonseniorliving.com, massachusetts.

nlc.state.ne.us/docs/pilot/pubs/h, assisted living nebraska.

tandcr.com, san francisco in homecaregivers.

wmeldercare.org, west massachusetts.

 

Beverly Home Health Services

23639 Hawthorne Blvd.

#202

Torrance, Ca 90505

213-378-9263

 

Medical Personnel Pool

303 Se 17th St.

Ft. Lauderdale, Fl 33316

305-764-2200

 

Mentor

313 Congress St.

Boston, Ma 02210

617-790-4800

mentormpn.com

 

Quality Care, Inc.

100 N. Center Ave.

Rockville Center, Ny 11570

800-6455-3633

 

Staff Builders Home Health Care

122 W. 42nd St.

NYC 10168

212-867-2345

 

Upjohn Health Care Services

3651 Van Rick Dr.

Kalamazoo, Mi 49002

616-385-6851

 

Homecare Websites

 

agingkansas.org/kdoa/publications/caregivers/c08.htm, how do I hire a homecare worker?

thehomecaredirectory.com

privatedutyhomecare.org,  the national private duty association

 

nahc.org, national association for homecare and hospice is the nation's largest trade association representing the interests and concerns of home care agencies, hospices, home care aide organizations and medical equipment suppliers.

 

vnaa.org, visiting nurse assn. of america

pcnplus.com/opportunity/home-health-care.html, home health care hahc.org, national association for home care provides an online guide on how to choose a home care agency. its web site also lists resources by state

fullcirclecare.org, information and assistance needed to support keeping an older loved one securely living at home littlebrothers.org, little brothers: friends of the elderly, national not-for-profit organization is committed to relieving isolation and loneliness of the elderly

wellspouse.org, a national, not for profit membership organization which gives support to wives, husbands and partners of the chronically ill and/ or disabled.

partoflife.com, part of life: helping home carers

63.241.27.115/hhcompare/home.asp, home health care agency ratings mothering.com

myseniorcare.com

myseniorservice.com nationwide.com/home-care-tips.jsp in-home-care-ideas-for-mom.com

helpguide.org/elder/senior_services_living_home.htm ecommunity.com/homehealth/

elderlycaretips.info elderpagesonline.com

boomers-with-elderly-parents.com

caregivershome.com caring.com/home-care aarp.org/home-family/caregiving/

agedcarer.com.au/topic/aged-care-tips/common-questions/where-do-i-get-information-about-home-care-services-my-area en.wikipedia.org/wiki/home-centered_health_care

rcg-homecare.co.uk/home_care.htm

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/home_care homecaringadvice.com

howtocare.com/home_care.htm

medicare.gov/longtermcare/static/homecare.asp

home-works.com

qualityhomeliving.us

homehealthcare.resourceaid.com thehomecarenetwork.org

medcarehealth.com, your guide to home health care.

nehealth.org

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/home-centered_health_care

alpha-care.com/homecare.html, alpha-care health professionals.

visitingnurseassn.com, visiting nurse association of the greater youngstown area.

aaronagency.com

respitematch.com, find a home health aide or agency or caregiver.

newagehomecare.com

angelshomecare.com

eldercareofgreensboro.com, homecare specialists for the elderly greensboro north carolina.

angelassociates.com, franchises for nonmedical homecare.

homecareassistance.com

homehelpers.cc, north america.

homeinstead.com, home instead senior care, non-medical source of companionship.

tandcr.com, san francisco homecaregivers.

acponline.org/public/h_care, homecare for cancer patients, info applies to all homecare situations.

aging-eldercare.com

eldercare.infopop.cc, ads for eldercare products and services.

eldercare.uniontrib.com, san diego.

eldercareadvocates.com

eldercarecalculator.org, calculates costs.

eldercareconsultants.us

eldercareenterprises.com

eldercare-tips.com

eldercare-usa.com

elderindustry.com, the complete eldercare planner.

elderlifeplanning.com

elderweb.com

georgiaeldercarespeakersbureau.com, helping families with the issues of aging, do you need a speaker on eldercare matters? givemeals.com, 800-999-6262, 703-548-5558, meals on wheels program.

golden-age-eldercare.com

halftheplanet.com

hiaa.org

homecareassistance.com

homecaremag.com

homecarenh.org, homecare association of new hampshire.

professionalhc.com

rkco.com/industries/eldercare.cfm, rothstein kass offers a range of eldercare and retirement planning services to seniors and their families.

rwiff.org, robert wood johnson foundation.

sec-online.net

sharedliving.org

summiteldercare.org

 

Homecare Resources

 

Assisted Living Federation Assn. of America

10300 Eaton Pl.

#400

Fairfax, Va 22031

703-691-8100

Fax: 703-691-8106

info@alfa.org

alfa.org

Free Guide and Checklist and list of providers in your state.  I got 26 pages worth of facilities for California.

 

National Assn. for Homecare

120 W. 12th St.

#1100

Washington, Dc 20003

202-547-7424

Fax: 202-547-3540

nahc.org

Umbrella organization representing a variety of agencies that offer homecare.  Publications available.

 

American Federation of Home Health Agencies

1320 Fenwick Ln.

#100

Ss, Md 20910

301-588-1454

Assn. of home health workers.

 

American Assn. of Homes &

Services for The Aging

901 E St. Nw

#500

Washington, Dc 20004-2037

202-783-2244

202-434-2277

202-296-5960

800-424-3410

800-508-9442

Fax: 202-783-2255

aahsa.org

They offer information about nursing homes, respite care, etc. all for nonprofit operators.  Send for list of publications.

 

American Communities

Pob 7189

Gaithersburg, Md 20898

800-998-9999

Home repair program for elderly home owners.

 

American Hospital Assn.

Division of Ambulatory Care

840 N. Lake Shore Dr.

Chicago, Il 60611

312-280-6216

aha.org

hospitalconnect.com

Many hospitals have homecare agencies.  Get a referral from the AHA.

 

B'nai B'rith Senior Citizens Housing Committee

1640 Rhode Island Ave. Nw

Washington, Dc 20036

800-222-1188, The Caring Network.

800-500-6533, Travel/ Volunteer Programs.

202-857-6600

Fax: 202-857-1099

Jewish service organization, engages in community service and helps seniors with low cost housing.

 

Catholic Charities U.S.A.

1731 King St.

Alexandria, Va 22314

703-549-1390

Fax: 703-549-1656

ccspm.org/links

Services to seniors.

 

Catholic Golden Age

430 Penn Ave.

Scranton, Pa 18503

800-836-5699

717-342-3294

Many services plus discounts on insurance, eyecare, prescriptions and travel.

 

Children of Aging Parents

1609 Woodbourne Rd.

#302

Levittown, Pa 19057

215-945-6900

Fax: 215-945-2289

800-227-7294

careguide.net

caps4caregivers.org

 

Community Health Accreditation Programs, Inc.

350 Hudson St.

Nyc 10014

800-669-9656

chapinc.org

List of accredited homecare organizations.  Certifies home health agencies.

 

Life Care Society of America

Ferry and Iron Hill Rds.

Doylestown, Pa 18901

Free booklet, Consumer Guide to Independent Living for Older Americans.

 

livhome.com

877-496-1725

Helps older people stay living at home.

 

National Family Caregivers Assn.

9621 E. Exhill Dr.

Kensington, Md 20895-3104

800-896-3650

nfacares.org

 

National Homecaring Council 235 Park Ave. S.

Nyc 10003

212-674-4990

Get a referral to a local home health aid service.

 

Olsten Health Services

National Resource Center

175 Broadhollow Rd.

Melville, Ny 11747

800-66-Nurse

Help with homecare services.

 

Trafalgar Personnel, Ltd.

The Arcade Bldg.

288 Lakeshore Rd. E.

 

Oakville, ON L6J 1J2

905-849-6520

Fax: 905-849-6921

trafalgarpersonnel.com

Home caregiving employment service for people who care for children, seniors and disabled people.  Live in, full time or part time work

 

Visiting Nurse Assns. of America

3801 E. Florida Ave.

#900

Denver, Co 80210

800-426-2547

888-426-2547

303-753-0218

Fax: 303-753-0258

vnaa.org

Nonprofit home health care providers and programs like adult daycare centers and meals on wheels, givemeals.com, 800-999-6262.

 

Regional Home Health Intermediaries

 

Regional home health intermediaries are affiliated with Medicare and can help you with information about home health care, hospice care and also take complaints of fraud or abuse within the system.

 

medicare.gov

800-medicare

877-447-tips, fraud tipline.

 

Associated Hospital Services of Maine

888-896-4997

Ct, Me, Ma, Nh, Ri, Vt.

 

Blue Cross of California Medicare

805-383-2990

Ak, American Samoa, Az, Ca, Guam, Hi, Id, Nv, N. Mariana Islands, Or, Wa.

 

Medicare Customer Service Center

800-444-4606

Md, Dc

 

Palmetto Government Benefits

727-773-9225

Fl.

 

Palmetto Government Benefits

803-788-4660

Al, Ar, Ga, Il, In, Ky, La, Ms, Nm, Nc, Oh, Ok, Sc, Tn, Tx.

 

United Government Services

414-224-4954

Mi, Mn, Nj, Ny, Pr, Vi, Wi.

 

Wellmark/ Blue Cross/ Blue Shield of Iowa

515-246-0126

Co, De, Ia, Ks, Mo, Mt, Ne, Nd, Sd, Ut, Vi, Wv, Wy.

 

Social Health Maintenance Organizations/ S/HMOs

 

Shmos are basically services where you pay into an insurance policy like you would for an HMO except that you're paying for medical service at home instead of going to a nursing home.  Shmos were created at:

 

Brandeis University

Heller School

Waltham, Ma 02254

617-623-8697

brandeis.edu

 

They're currently only available in some areas and often only for seniors.

 

allbusiness.com/health-maintenance-organizations/3065511-1.html

aoa.gov

cms.hhs.gov/demoprojectsevalrpts/downloads/shmo_report.pdf

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/health_maintenance_organization_act_of_1973

healthline.com

kpchr.org/public/studies/studiesresult.aspx?id=52

mathematica-mpr.com/pdfs/socialhealth.pdf

medpac.gov/publications

medscape.com/viewarticle/474821_2

rwjf.org/pr/product.jsp?id=19554, national social health maintenance organization demonstration, publication.

ucl.broward.edu/pathfinders/health_maintenance_organizations.htm

 

Elderplan, Inc.

1276 50th St.

Brooklyn, Ny 11219

718-438-2600

 

Medical Plus Ii

Kaiser Permanente

4610 Se Belmont

Portland, OR 97215

503-233-5631

 

Seniors Plus

2829 University Ave. Se

Minneapolis, Mn 55414

612-623-8697

 

Senior Care Action Network

521 E. 4th St.

Long Beach, Ca 90802

800-247-5091