An Introduction to In-Home Care Options

Robert Dickinson

Owner, Trillium HomeCare

Trillium HomeCare

• Our Mission and Core Values• Home Care Services• Home Health Care Services• Hospice Services• Family Caregiver and Respite• Ask Questions• Payment Options

Trillium HomeCare

A Passion for Making a Difference in the Lives of the Jewels of Our Community

Core Values

Integrity is the Foundation

Treat Each Other with Respect

Teamwork Empowers us to Excel

Setting Higher Standards of Excellence

Home Care

• Includes non-medical, personal care & companion care

• Services are tailor-made to clients, based on needs and wants

• Care is often supervised by a nurse• Care can be provided privately, by a registry,

family or an agency• Minor medical services may be available

Home Care Services

• Meal Preparation • Home Safety Supervision • Housekeeping & Laundry • Accompany to

Appointments• Medication Reminders • Shopping, Errands &

Transportation

• Bathing, Dressing & Oral Hygiene

• Assistance in the bathroom

• Vital signs • Monitoring oxygen • Colostomy care • Recording overall

physical and mental health

• Medication Set Ups

Home Care

PROS• Security and comfort • Dignity and

independence• Flexibility of scheduling• Customized care (1:1)• Can be cost-effective• May use hospice and/or

home health agency as care needs increase

CONS• Agency services & quality

can vary widely• Medicare or commercial

carrier will not reimburse• Can become costly

Home Health Care

• Medical services (skilled and therapeutic) delivered to client in their place of residence

• Usually prescribed by MD• Care providers are nurses, physical, occupational and

speech therapists, social workers and home health aides• Often used only temporarily, during a period of rehab• Can hire privately, but an agency is generally the safest

& most comprehensive source of assistance

Home Health Services• Rehabilitation- physical,

occupational & speech-language

• Medical social services & counseling

• Infusion therapy• Specialized high-tech

services• Respiratory therapy

• Laboratory & diagnostic services

• Case management• Nutritional support

therapies & counseling• Behavioral and mental

health counseling & support services

Home Health ServicesPROS• Stay in the comfort of home

while rehab• Medicare or other insurance

pays for many of these services (but only for a short time)

• Can maintain a higher quality of life- physically and emotionally- when rehabilitate at home

• Limited risk of communicable diseases

CONS• When skilled or

therapeutic services are no longer needed, Medicare will not continue to pay for care by HHA’s

• May lose “personal touch” if using home telehealth care

Family Caregiving and Respite

• Family members (or friends & neighbors) provide care to clients in their place of residence

• Because of the demands on time, care is often augmented or substituted by volunteers or a home care agency (respite care)

Family Caregiver and Respite

PROS• Respite care provides

more flexibility & stress relief for family caregivers

• Can be cost effective for client

• Client has close contact with family members

CONS

• Caregivers may or may not have appropriate skills

• Caregiver burnout is common

• Caregivers’ own health can suffer

• Client may need to move into adult children’s home

What Hospice Care Is• Comfort oriented care• Wide array of services

– Physicians– Social Worker– Spiritual Care– Nurses– Volunteers

• Extensive family support• High touch

What Hospice Care Isn’t• Not “all or nothing.”

The patient identifies the services they want Hospice to provide.

• Not a place or person. Hospice is a philosophy that can be applied anywhere:– Private Home – Adult Foster Care– Nursing Homes

Ask Questions

• Insurance and bonding• Licensing or certification• Employee verification- background & reference

checks, motor vehicle records & check nurse aide registry

• What payer sources do they accept? • Minimum number of hours• How quickly can they find a caregiver

Ask Questions

• What will this cost?• If a home care/home health agency:

– Does the agency take care of quarterly taxes and worker’s compensation insurance or is client responsible?

– Are quality assurance programs in place (ongoing education, supervision, care calls & weekly updates)?

– Are caregivers trained and experienced?

Payment Options

• Private Pay (accounts for 90% of payments for ALFs and home care)

• Long Term Care Insurance is your best bet• Medicare & Medicaid (hospice and skilled care

only) • Veterans Aid and Attendance Pension

28237 Orchard Lake Rd, Suite 103

Farmington Hills, MI 48334

248-539-0714www.trilliumhomecare.com