Home Care: An Important Part of the Aging in Place Challenge

As our legislators work to shape the new face of healthcare in the U.S., many Americans have received a crash course on the topic of long-term care. The costs of caring for our seniors will climb as the population ages, and how best to provide this care has been the source of some debate. Under discussion is a mandate that every American purchase long-term care insurance to help cover costs if they become disabled. The related Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) Act is a proposed new voluntary insurance program that would pay enrollees a benefit that could be applied to nursing home care or in-home care. And the increasingly important role of family caregivers is in the spotlight, with policy experts urging the enhancement of programs that build better relationships between formal and family caregivers.

An increased emphasis is emerging on keeping seniors at home—for the best quality of life, and as a cost-effective alternative to institutional care. Two recent studies, taken together, show why the need for senior home care services will continue to grow:

• Last month, researchers at the UCLA Division of Geriatrics called into question the commonly held belief that Baby Boomers will be healthier than previous generations. The study suggests that people now entering their 60s could actually have an increased rate of disabilities, with functional limitations, and difficulties with the basic activities of daily living and mobility. 
  
  
• Meanwhile, surveys by AARP and the National Association of Home Builders show that 85% of seniors wish to "age in place"—to remain in their own homes.

This desire to stay at home, combined with a projected increased rate of disability, means that our dwellings will have to adapt to our needs as we age. Modifications for safety and accessibility, including home medical equipment as needed, are part of the picture. And for many seniors, in-home care will be an indispensable part of successful aging in place...just as it is today.

Professional caregivers can provide a wide array of services:

Visiting nurses and rehabilitation professionals provide skilled medical services in the home. Registered nurses (RNs) and licensed practical nurses (LPNs) perform hands-on procedures such as wound care and IV therapy. Rehabilitation professionals include physical, occupational and speech/language therapists.

Home health aides are trained to provide personal care and help with the activities of daily living, such as feeding assistance, dressing, bathing, oral hygiene, getting in and out of bed, and using the facilities. 

In-home caregivers are trained to provide companion services that support the senior's independence, including laundry and housekeeping, meal preparation, transportation, companionship, and respite for family caregivers.

Though legislators have been slow to take notice, today's healthcare reform debate is now shedding new light on the value of in-home care.

Learn More

Read Caring Right at Home each month for information about senior home care services and how home care can keep seniors independent in their own homes.

Read coverage of the generations study in "People Entering their 60s May Have More Disabilities Today Than in Prior Generations" on the UCLA website.

Right at Home is a national organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for those we serve. We fulfill that mission through a dedicated network of locally owned, franchised providers of in-home care and assistance services.