For some older adults, managing a home, completing chores, and keeping everything tidy can simply be too much. If your loved one needs additional help at home, you don’t have to find time in your busy schedule to do all their chores. Today’s older adults have lots of options when it comes to finding support so that they can age in place in the home they love for longer. Homemaker services provided through a nonmedical home care agency might be the ideal solution. Here, we go over the details of homemaker services so you can know if it is the right fit for you or a loved one.
What is home care?
There are two types of home care agencies: nonmedical and medical. Medical home care agencies are more commonly referred to as home health agencies and provide medical care in the home through licensed clinicians like nurses, therapists, and certified nursing assistants. Nonmedical home care agencies give nonmedical support in the home provided by unlicensed professional caregivers. Nonmedical agencies provide homemaker services as one of their options to families looking to get assistance in their older loved one’s home.
What are homemaker services?
Homemaker services are loosely defined as tasks that help seniors maintain their household but are not necessarily personal care tasks. Homemaker services can vary from agency to agency, depending on their definition. However, in general, homemaker services include:
- •Meal planning.
- •Grocery shopping.
- •Meal preparation, including storing leftovers.
- •Transportation to/from appointments and escorting the senior throughout the process.
- •Transportation to/from social events, family gatherings, etc.
- •Light housekeeping.
- •Laundry and linen services, including stripping and washing linens weekly or as otherwise arranged.
- •Running errands with or on behalf of the older adult.
Some nonmedical home care agencies also consider companionship a part of homemaker services, which can include visiting with the older adult, coming with prepared activities to do together, and planning upcoming excursions into the community.
In a few rare instances, assistance with personal care, such as support with bathing, dressing, grooming, and other activities of daily living, is also included in homemaker services. Generally, though, this type of support does not fall under the homemaker services category.
In all cases, homemaker services are provided by caregivers. Depending on the state, these caregivers might have been trained in certain tasks by their agency before arriving at the senior’s home. Most nonmedical home care agencies have a comprehensive training program for their caregivers and oversight by a manager, who can sometimes be a nurse or clinician.
What tasks are not homemaker services?
Homemaker services are never medical, so you will not find any of the following tasks associated with homemaker services:
- •Medication management.
- •Chronic disease management.
- •IV therapy.
- •Wound checks or wound care.
- •Physical, occupational, or speech therapy.
- •Professional case management.
Are homemaker services best for my loved one?
Homemaker services are ideal for someone who feels overwhelmed by household chores or who simply doesn’t have the energy or capability to do them. If your loved one meets any of the following considerations, homemaker services might enhance their quality of life:
- •No longer drives.
- •Has lost weight in recent months.
- •Eats convenience or processed foods for most meals during the week.
- •Has never learned how to cook for one person.
- •Feels lonely at times.
- •Wears the same clothes repeatedly to avoid adding to the laundry pile.
- •Waits for family members to assist with chores around the house.
- •Struggles to implement suggestions from doctors and family members.
- •Declines to attend gatherings because they don’t want to find a way to get there.
How much do homemaker services cost?
Homemaker services are billed through the home care agency, and costs can vary from state to state and agency to agency. However, it is safe to assume homemaker services will be billed out for anywhere from $10 to $30 per hour, depending on the agency and location.
Finding homemaker services near my loved one
If you think homemaker services would be a good fit for your senior loved one, search for a nonmedical home care agency in their area. You’ll want to set up a consultation with a few agencies (most offer free or reduced-rate consultations for new customers) to ask them questions and tell them more about your loved one and their needs.
When speaking with potential agencies, be sure you understand their definition of homemaker services. If your loved one needs support with personal care, it’s possible they might not provide those services or might increase the hourly rate if they do. It’s best to be on the same page before enlisting their services.
