Personal Touch Home Care is in the business of navigating families through the home care system and helping them find services they may not realize they are entitled to access. Most recently we had an elderly family member who was going into the hospital to have surgery with a fairly long recovery period. The family member cared for a disabled middle aged adult. After some investigation on our end we were able to have the family obtain respite service for several weeks.
These additional hours allowed the family member to have piece of mind while in the hospital. The additional home care hours were added and eased the burden for all who were involved. After release from the hospital the respite hours continued and aided in a quicker recovery for the caregiver. These services were set up in just a few phone calls and the advance planning had the respite service set up before the family member was admitted to the hospital. Another plus for the family was since we had advance notice we could alter the CHHA schedule which allowed the client to have continuity of care. It was a win win situation for all involved.
One of the best ways to prepare for additional services is to anticipate the needs of the client and the family before an event occurs. At Personal Touch Home Care, we know that some situations come up suddenly, but if we can anticipate a need at least three to four weeks out we can start to work out additional programs. For example, if a client is being released from a Rehabilitation Facility we should be working with them several weeks before discharge is planned; in some instances families may be eligible for Hospice hours. The guidelines for Hospice have changed and that service may be available to a family for 6 months at a minimum. Hospice is no longer a service that is provided when a loved one has six months or less to live. If the family is agreeable we can work with a Hospice Care and set up service. There are many new Hospice regulations that allow patients to use this service.
If the client was a Veteran we can look into services from the Veteran Administration. When a client is of working age they may not even realize that their place of employment may offer some type of home care benefit they can take advantage of. All avenues should be exhausted, your church may have a volunteer service that can assist. If a client is being released from the hospital it is imperative that they seek out the discharge planner. If there is some type of skilled need, home care can be set up on a very limited basis until the client is able to care for themselves again. There are a number of ways to seek out additional help, and it only takes a little creative thinking and looking outside the norm.
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