HomeCare – Not a Do It Yourself Project?

HomeCare provided by AmeriCare Alliance is an effective and desirable means of providing the care a person requires or desires.  Beyond the obvious benefits for the client, there are significant personal, health, and financial benefits for all concerned. As a first consideration, however, family members or friends sometimes decide to personally provide the care.  Before making this decision there are significant factors that should be considered.  These include risks to the health of family caregivers, providing the most desirable living surroundings for the client, and the efficiency of a professional agency.

There Are Financial and Personal Costs Commonly Experienced When a Family Member or Friend Provides Care.

• Family caregivers are exposed to significant stress.
• Noticeable deterioration in the health of family caregivers is common.  In addition a 63% higher death rate among caregivers is reported.  The effects of stress continued even after the care is discontinued.  (Ohio State University Medical Center).
• Caregivers are likely to become depressed.  A study reported 56% of the respondents with at least moderate depression, 18% with severe depression and 19% with extreme severe depression. (Deakin University).
• A caregiver that remains employed may experience a  loss of job productivity.  An average productivity loss of $2,441 has been reported.  (The MetLife Caregiving Cost Study).
• There may be a requirement to provide more care as need increases.  As a result they may eventually need to leave their job.
• Long distance” family caregivers suffer hidden costs. (MetLife Mature Market Institute and the National Alliance for Caregiving).  On average  20 hours of work per month are missed $392 per month in travel and out of pocket expenses occur.   An average travel distance of 450 miles occurs several times per month.
• A caregiver that lives near the person requiring care may be called upon disproportately in comparison to other family members.
• Care that begins as a temporary and appreciated response to a need becomes a routine and expected task.

AmeriCare Allows the Least Restrictive and Most Desirable Living Arrangements.

• Persons needing care may not want to leave their home to live with someone else.
• It may cause spouses who have lived together for most of their lives to be separated.
• It may lead to depression and a disturbance of the relationship between family members.
• A “Vast majority of senior citizens (89%) want to age in place – or grow older without having to move from their homes — and more than half (53%) are concerned about their ability to do so.”  (“Aging in Place in America,” commissioned by Clarity and The EAR Foundation).
• Institutional care options may be expensive, unnecessary, and restrictive.
• Home care allows “just enough” service hours and those can be adjusted.
• A $75,190 per year nursing home may not be necessary.
• A $35,616 per year assisted living facility may not be necessary.
• A “Large majority (82%) of baby boomers fear their parents will be mistreated in a nursing home and 89% fear they will be sad.”  (“Aging in Place in America,” commissioned by Clarity and The EAR Foundation).
• A person’s home may be left unused while taxes, upkeep, and other house related expenses continue.

AmeriCare as a professional Home Care Agency can provide services efficiently and expertly.

• AmeriCare, through a sponsored company, has assistance at no fee which could help Veterans apply for a pension that may reimburse for homecare.
• AmeriCare has Experience in Recruiting and Supervising Caregivers.
• An individual may need to use costly advertising and respond to inquiries that do not yield appropriate caregivers.
• Employing a caregiver privately will require tax reporting and tax payments.
• Utilizing a family member or friend may cause unexpected liability in case of an accident or injury.
• An individual may only need part time care but feel compelled to employ a caregiver full time in order to meet the desire of the caregiver.  AmeriCare may provide other service opportunities for the caregivers to use their time efficiently.
• AmeriCare has the resources to complete the necessary:
• Local, State and National criminal background checks.
• Driver’s license checks.
• CNA Certification Verification.
• Elder Abuse database reviews.
• Competency Certifications.
• AmeriCare can provide an alternate caregiver in cases of emergency  and for planned caregiver absences.
• AmeriCare will supervise the caregivers by visiting, and if necessary updating the care plan.

There are strong financial and personal advantages to allowing AmeriCare to provide homecare services.  AmeriCare will provide the services that persons of all ages desire or require in order to remain safely and comfortably in their own home.   Call us with any questions you may have at(910) 487-0405 or Email Us Here.