Do you or your loved one need assistance with home duties and medication management? There are many types of home care workers who provide a range of services, from help with running errands to administering professional health care. The job titles include personal care aides, home health aides, licensed nursing assistants, skilled nursing providers, and registered nurses. With so many options available, you may be wondering what professional would best fit your needs or the needs of a loved one. 

Read on to find out what the duties of a home health aide entail and whether you should consider hiring one. We will also give you some tips on how to make sure you choose the best healthcare agency.

What Do Home Health Aides Do?

Home health aides are primarily responsible for monitoring the condition of people with disabilities or chronic illnesses. They also help with daily living activities. Here’s a non-inclusive list of duties that home health aides perform.

• Bathing, grooming and personal hygiene assistance
• Companionship
• Light housekeeping
• Meal preparation
• Medication reminders
• Mobility assistance
• Blood pressure and temperature monitoring
• Dedicated attention and general supervision of health
• Bathing
• Skin care
• Oral hygiene
• Nail care
• Home exercise program
• Ambulation
• Simple non-sterile wound care
• Bowel program
• Catheter care

Home health aides are required to have at least a high school diploma to qualify for the position. Those who work in certified home health agencies, such as Five Star Home Health Care Agency, are bonded and insured because the safety of our clients is of paramount importance to us.

Do You Need a Home Health Aide?

There are a number of signs that indicate that the help of a home health aide might be necessary. If you start forgetting things, such as your home address, taking medications, or turning the stove off, it could be a sign that professional assistance may be needed. 

If you are a family caregiver who is struggling to provide regular care for your elderly relative, you should consider hiring a home health aide if you observe signs of memory loss, as this could lead to dangerous situations that a professional caregiver can help avoid.

Another way to find out whether you or a loved one need a home health aide is to figure out the scope of assistance required. It can certainly help to write down the needs and challenges, preferences, and expectations, as well as take into account any advice given by the doctor. You could read more about the duties of other types of health workers before making the final decision.

Should You Use an Agency or an Independent Worker?

While hiring an independent home health aide may seem like a tempting choice, there are some undeniable benefits to using an agency that outweigh the option of using a registry. It is true that if you embark on the search for a home health aide on your own, you will have the chance to find someone who could be a better fit. For example, if you or your elderly relative have a native language other than English, you may find a worker who can speak your language. Also, you are free to establish your own rules. The downside is that you might need to buy liability insurance, as you would be responsible for an on-the-job accident if it happened. 

Home health care agencies not only provide insured home health aides, but they also perform background checks on their workers to make sure their clients are safe. Furthermore, every agency strives to provide the most excellent care possible, so if the originally assigned home health aide doesn’t work out for any reason, the agency will find a replacement quickly. 

Five Star Home Health Care Agency is not an exception to this rule. We are committed to employing only those individuals who demonstrate a passion for their jobs. All our home health aides have undergone a series of thorough pre-employment screenings, and we can assure you of their competency.

Choosing an Agency

Now that you’ve made up your mind that you might need a home health aide, it’s time to answer your next question. How do you choose a home health care agency that’s right for you? There are some useful questions you should ask. 

Taking into account the number of years of experience an agency has can help you make sure it’s safe and trustworthy. At Five Star Home Health Care Agency, our years of experience as a team have led us to become one of the most trusted agencies in the state of New York. We also have excellent reviews and long-lasting relationships with our clients.

You should also consider the staff’s qualifications. As we’ve mentioned previously, all our home health aides are bonded and insured, and we conduct background checks on all of our staff. 

When it comes to the cost of hiring a home health aide, we accept a range of insurances, and you can review the full list here.

At Five Star Home Health Care Agency, our patients’ well-being is our top priority. If you have questions/concerns, please do not hesitate to call us at 718-676-9977 or send us an online message using the form on our Contact Us page. If you want to meet with us personally, set an appointment with us right away. If you know anyone who can benefit from our services, please send us your referrals.