WHAT IS HOME CARE? Non-Medical vs Medical

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Caregivers and Aides perform a critical role in helping those, such as the elderly, who are not chronically ill, yet need assistance with daily activities like bathing, housekeeping, personal hygiene, using the toilet, running errands, cooking, etc. The home care services industry is currently a $70 billion industry and is expected to continue to flourish over the next 30 years as the Baby Boomer generation continues to age. Here are some facts about the industry:

Eight out of ten Seniors prefer to stay in the comfort and familiar surroundings of their own home; it is called “Aging in Place.” Due to the recent Covid virus many seniors are afraid to go into nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Home care provides the perfect solution for seniors to stay safe, independent, and well in their own home.

The U.S. population of those aged 65 or older was 35 million in 2010. By 2030  that number will grow to 70 million and continue to increase until 2045. Most adult children live hundreds of miles away from their parents, which makes providing care to their parents a challenge.

The US Bureau of Labor stated that, “The home care industry is in its first inning, and explosive growth will happen over the next three decades.”

The US Bureau of Labor named the Senior Care Industry as having three out of the top 10 job growth markets through to 2025.

The Veterans Administration recently opened their Pension Benefit up to millions more seniors nationwide to help them qualify for funds to pay for their care expenses. 

Non-Medical Home Care

When an individual, for example a senior citizen, is no longer able to independently sustain his or her lifestyle without additional help, non-medical home health care can help the senior with his or her daily routine.

An 85-year-old whose physical or cognitive condition prevents him from regularly shopping for groceries, cooking daily meals or maintaining his home is a likely candidate for non-medical home health care. Or, if an elderly individual has difficulty keeping up with routine practices, like bathing, dressing and toileting, a non-medical caregiver is skilled in providing support to help the individual accomplish these tasks right at home. A senior care provider can step in and offer transportation to the post office, exercise classes and weekly trips to the grocery store. Elder care aides also can engage in light housekeeping and prepare meals. In-home care service providers make life easier for the individual in their care as well as for the loved one’s families.

The path of non-medical home health care is ideally pursued when family members of the senior are unable to provide constant care due to the demands of work, taking care of their children or other responsibilities. A non-medical home health care provider will consult and work with the family of the senior to develop the most effective home care plan that best meets the needs of the elderly individual.

Home health care meets the needs of individuals requiring medical assistance at home—and home health care is prescribed by an attending doctor. A registered nurse, certified nurse’s assistant, or doctor administers medical remedies, like catheter care and injections, at an individual’s home.

When an 80-year-old returns home from the hospital after a hip replacement surgery, she requires the assistance of a home health care professional to recoup at her personal residence. A nurse, for example, working with a home health care team, administers medications and injections, in order to facilitate the treatment according to the attending doctor’s treatment plan. A member of the home healthcare team will also participate in pain management and physical therapy to ensure the full recovery of the senior in her own household.

Home health care is crucial to the senior’s treatment if he or she prefers to recoup in the comforts of his or her home. Family members are likely to be unaware of medical procedures, like wound dressing or monitoring vital signs, which would help the patient heal. Instances like these necessitate a skilled home health care provider, one who is experienced in providing optimum, professional medical care at the client’s home.