Assisted Living Programs Or Home Health Care
This article discusses the differences between home health care and assisted living programs to provide assistance to those who are considering these kinds of services. Just like assisted living, home health care also renders assistance with regards to daily living activities, such as cooking, housekeeping, dressing, meal preparation and bathing. Depending on the requirements of the individual, special provisions can be included such as help in toileting, walking and exercising, volunteer programs, errands and transportation services. More extensive programs for home health care may include provisions for visits by nurses and physical therapists and rehabilitation programs. But how does home health care differ from assisted living programs aside from the fact that in the latter the patients do not live at home but stay in a unit in a special facility?
The basic difference between assisted living programs and home health care is that the former is more suitable for individuals who require constant supervision. Of course, it may seem that there is less independence in senior retirement living because the patients are not at home. However, many assisted living facilities, such as those provided by Assisted Living Concepts, can provide living units that are very similar to what the elderly people consider home. Besides, certain conditions, such as dementia, require constant monitoring because of the danger that the patients may put themselves into. Moreover, while home health care may seem to be less costly compared to the arrangement where the person lives in a special community, home health care may actually be more expensive.
Meanwhile, an important question is whether home health care and assisted living arrangements are covered by Medicare. Unfortunately, Medicare does not cover expenses incurred for assisted living except for those times when the patient has to stay in a rehabilitation or nursing facility for a certain time. But Medicaid may cover some of the costs for certain facilities in a number of states, such as in Kansas and in RI. On the other hand, Medicare assistance could be provided for home health care only for home health aide services, skilled nursing care, medical social services, physical therapy, certain medical supplies, and durable medical equipment such as a walker or wheelchair.
So how does assisted living programs compare with home health care? The latter is more expensive than the former because it can cost as much as double the expenses incurred for the board and care in assisted living facilities. However, in home health care, the benefit is that the patient can stay at home and some of the expenses can be covered by Medicare. On the other hand, assisted living facilities are much less costly although Medicare will not cover the expenses but Medicaid can help in some of the costs in certain states. Finally, it should be pointed out that home health care is only for those who believe that they do not have to be monitored continuously throughout the day and that visits by health professionals at certain hours of the day would be sufficient.
