Iowa Home Care: Personal Care For Your Care Recipient
Many older adults need long term care. This includes help with daily activities, like getting dressed or making a healthy meal. Care recipients can benefit from a family caregiver or a professional to provide personal care.
In this blog, we’ll:
- Help you understand what personal care is and how it differs from home health care.
- Provide useful tips for providing good care.
- Talk about how to find professional home care in Iowa.
If you reside in Iowa, you have free access to Trualta for even more information about home care, personal care, and caregiving. If you live in another state, you can check if you also have free access to Trualta.
What Is Personal Care?
Home care and personal care are often used to describe the same type of care. Both terms refer to non-medical care provided in the home. Personal care can also be called unskilled care.
Personal care is assistance with basic activities of daily living. These are basic needs. They include dressing, bathing, toileting, eating, and grooming.
Personal care may also include instrumental activities of daily living. These are not basic needs but are activities that enrich daily life. Examples include getting exercise, socializing, and running errands.
Help with these activities allows seniors to remain independent in the home. All types of personal care help delay the transition to assisted living.
How Is Home Care Different From Home Health Care?
It’s important to know that Iowa home care is different from home health care in the state. Understanding the difference will help you better search for personal care for your loved one.
If you’re a family caregiver, you’re probably providing personal care, not home health care. Home health care is skilled work provided by one or more of the following trained and licensed professionals:
- Home health aide
- Certified nursing assistant
- Licensed practical or registered nurse
They provide different levels of medical services. This includes basic care, like taking vital signs and administering medications. It also includes more advanced care, like skilled nursing. Home health care helps delay the transition to assisted living or a nursing home. Medical care provided in the home is regulated in Iowa. Personal care, or home care, is not.
Who Provides Personal Care?
Personal care is not considered skilled care. The caregiver does not need special training or certifications. Many seniors rely on family caregivers to provide personalized care. According to statistics, 37.1 million Americans provide care for a loved one.
Another option is a professional care provider. Families can hire a professional independently. They can also work with home care agencies to find professionals.
Tips For Providing Personal In-Home Care
In-home personal care is not skilled work, but it’s important and makes a difference for the care recipient. Aging Resources of Central Iowa is a good resource if you’re a family caregiver.
Determine Their Needs
Personal care typically doesn’t always involve a care plan, as in home health. Even so, meeting a care recipient’s individual needs is essential for quality care.
Determine what your loved one or care recipient needs to be safe, healthy, and happy at home. Ask them directly what they need and want help with.
Be Respectful
Safety is important, but so is dignity. Respect your care recipient’s dignity and independence while providing care. Ask them how and when they want help. If it’s safe, encourage them to do tasks independently.
Get Help When Needed
Quality of care suffers when you get overwhelmed. It also suffers if you’re unqualified to do certain tasks. Ask for help from other relatives if you need it. Or, hire a professional for respite care or to provide additional care.
You can also find online, convenient caregiver training that will help you be more prepared.
How To Find Professional Iowa Home Care
Family caregivers often provide a lot of the home care seniors need. When family caregiving isn’t enough, you might need to find a professional home care aide.
The Iowa Care Planning Council provides useful information about home care. It also provides a list of Iowa home care services. Aging Resources of Central Iowa is another good resource.
Get the contact information for home care agencies in your area. Talk to several agencies to ask questions and get information before choosing one. These are some questions to ask:
- How do you hire caregivers?
- What training do your caregivers have?
- How long have your employees worked for you?
- Do you do background checks?
- Can you show me references from past clients?
- How do you manage caregivers?
If you hire a caregiver and have concerns, address them immediately. It’s important to find the right caregiver to keep your loved one happy and safe.
Trualta has many more resources to help you in your caregiving role. If you reside in Iowa, you have free access to Trualta. If you live in another state, you can check if you also have free access to Trualta.
Sources
- https://acl.gov/ltc/basic-needs/how-much-care-will-you-need
- https://www.cms.gov/medicare-medicaid-coordination/fraud-prevention/medicaid-integrity-education/downloads/pcs-prevent-improperpayment-booklet.pdf
- https://www.bls.gov/blog/2023/celebrating-national-family-caregivers-month-with-bls-data.htm
- https://careiowa.org/index.htm
- https://careiowa.org/list03_iowa_home_health_care_services.htm
- https://www.agingresources.com/programs-services/family-caregiver-program/
