The great news about New York State is that there are many different ways you can pay for home care for your loved one.
First, let’s cover what home care means. Especially non-medical home care.
When you or your loved one is recovering from surgery, consider all that the doctor has said you shouldn’t do. Things like the following:
Don’t drive too soon.
This isn’t just about anesthesia or motor skills and judgment being impaired by pain medications. If there is an incision wound, healing can be hindered by movement. This includes movement associated with driving – getting in and out, steering the car, shifting gears, and pressing your accelerator. All of these things can disrupt the sutures around a wound. A non-medical home caregiver can be your ride to and from appointments or shopping trips.
Using pain medication as directed.
Some people balk at taking pain medication because it makes them groggy or foggy headed. And they will rationalize reducing the amount of medication they take. While this makes sense on the surface, avoiding painkillers can make you sicker longer. People in pain move less. This means there is a higher risk of blood clots in places you don’t want a clot to occur. Also, people in pain tend to breathe more shallowly. They will do all they can to avoid coughing, which increases the risk of respiratory infections and pneumonia following surgery. A non-medical home care assistant can be on hand for several hours a day, every day, to offer assurance to the patient who must take pain medications.
Don’t lift anything more than 10 lbs.
You are sent home and after a week, you feel great and can lift 15 lbs with no problem. You must be a fast healer! No. Just because you’re physically able to lift, push, or pull, don’t ignore the real fact that you have a wound in the process of healing. Any excessive straining can cause wounds to open and can allow infection. So if you’ve been told not to lift more than 10 lbs, understand that this includes the 15 lbs of sugar you might normally bring in from the pantry so you can cook your favorite pies and cobblers. It can also mean the laundry basket of jeans and towels, or the vacuum cleaner, or a full garbage bag. Many of the day-to-day activities are hindered when a doctor puts a weight limit in place. A non-medical home care assistant can take care of all of these. Well, maybe not the pies and cobblers. But, everything else can be taken care of by the assistant.
This list isn’t definitive. Other home care services offered include:
Personal hygiene:
dental, bathing, hair washing, hair styling, grooming
Dementia care:
Establish a safe environment, intentional activities aimed at mentally stimulating your loved one, meal preparation and medication reminders, compassionate support for daily activities, self-care, and more.
Companionship:
Includes a range of activities such as accompaniment on daily errands, participating in hobbies, organizing bills and letters, reading and bedtime assistance, watching movies, stimulating conversation, and more.
Non-Medical Home Care New York
As you can see, non-medical home care is a good idea for many different reasons, can be short term or long term, and can be paid for in various ways.
New York pays most home care charges through its Medicaid program or through the Medicare program. Many of the services offered by our home care agency are paid for by private insurance, managed care programs, the Veterans Administration, Workers’ Compensation, the Department for the Aging, or through private payment from the patient or the family.
Home Care Costs Are Reasonable
Some more great news – home care is a less costly alternative to a nursing home or assisted living facility. All you need to do is consider the costs associated with overhead, staffing, onsite medical equipment, security, insurance, and more for those businesses. Then, compare those costs with the hourly rate of having someone spend time with your loved one in their own home.
Many patients and clients use a combination of insurance and private pay. This is because the patient or client has insurance covering specific aspects of home care, and they would like some additional services. Either way, having a conversation with a payment specialist will reveal all the options available. Call us with your questions: (929) 205-5558
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