Let me begin by stating this unequivocally: I love the home care business! And I am passionate about it from every angle. Whether it’s watching one of our local owners grow their business and become successful or hearing the stories of our Exceptional Caregivers once again going above and beyond, it’s a joy to come to work every day.
The greatest satisfaction, though, is knowing that families are depending on Home Helpers® Home Care to make sure their loved ones are safe and being cared for by an exceptional professional. Our Vision “to be the extended family when family can’t be there” permeates our entire system, along with our laser focus on providing Exceptional Care.
However, there are some misconceptions about home care that might be keeping people who can benefit the most from looking into it as a viable solution for a loved one. I’ve come up with five misconceptions I hear most about why people don’t consider home care, and then a reply about how that really shouldn’t be a reason.
#5 – Once a Caregiver is assigned, I’ll be stuck with them even if I don’t like or trust that person.
That is never the case at Home Helpers, and we work hard to make sure that never happens in the first place. In fact, as part of your free in-home assessment, a Home Helpers professional (often the owner of the office providing service) will ask a series of questions designed to help find the perfect match between client and Caregiver. But sometimes things don’t always work out the way we expect. In that case, it’s absolutely the right of the client to request a different Caregiver who is a better match.
#4 – Caregivers don’t really care about their clients.
For me, this is especially easy to debunk. Just take a look at any of these videos from last year’s Exceptional Caregiver Awards and tell me these are people who don’t care about their clients and their families! While these videos highlight the stories of our regional winners from last year’s Exceptional Caregiver Awards, they are representative of thousands more Home Helpers Exceptional Caregivers who do more for their clients every day because they care so much.
#3 – Caregivers will take the place of family or friends.
Perhaps this is the flipside of concern #4 – not that my Caregiver doesn’t care, but that they care too much. While Caregivers and clients do develop close relationships, it’s never at the expense of the client’s family or friends. In fact, many Caregivers actually help keep those bonds strong by providing transportation to lunch with friends or to family gatherings, or helping the client keep in touch with loved ones through social media such as Facebook or Skype. Caregivers have families, too, so they understand their role in the overall dynamic.
#2 – Home care is permanent and only for seniors.
We’re proud of our work with seniors and that will never change. Seniors do comprise the majority of those for whom we care, but there are other situations where in-home care provides the perfect solution. As most of you know, hospitals and health insurers are interested in getting patients out of the hospital as quickly as possible. Home care can be a great assistance after surgery or other treatment to help a patient recuperate. We’ve even seen an uptick in the number of new mothers who need assistance after giving birth. Best of all, these services are only provided as needed or as long as the recovering patient requires them.
#1 – Home care is too expensive.
As with many things, the cost associated with the service becomes the dominant concern. But the facts are that in-home care is not only the preferred option (according to an AARP study, 90% of those age 65 or more would prefer to stay in their own home rather than go to an assisted living or nursing facility) but it’s also the most cost efficient. With the cost of living in an assisted living facility nearing $4,000 a month on average, the cost of providing in-home care is much more reasonable. In addition, the consultation to find out if home care is a good solution is free. A care plan is tailored at that time to meet the specific needs of each family. This plan may even include one of our Direct Link ® devices (which are monitored and may include fall detectors, GPS tracking and more) to be used instead of, or in conjunction with, in-home care. As time goes by, Home Helpers will work with the family to make adjustments that prioritize keeping the client safe while providing peace of mind to loved ones.
Finally, we will work with you to find all available options to help with payment, such as through Medicare Advantage, insurance programs, or one of our national partners, like Promisor Residential. Veterans are also often surprised to learn that in-home care is covered through benefits they earned while serving our country.
If any of the concerns listed above were keeping you from looking into home care for yourself or a loved one, I hope you can see that a little information can bring light to the situation. You may call 1-800-216-4196 at any time to schedule a free consultation and find out if Home Helpers is the right home care solution for you.