Short-term home care

As a family, you are looking to hire a professional caregiver, so your loved one can enjoy a safe and independent lifestyle at home. But there are so many care options that you can help but wonder, what is short-term home care?

What Is Short-Term Home Care?

Short-term home care is a temporary professional support service offered to rehabilitate patients following an injury, illness, or surgery. The services offered include medication reminders, light housekeeping, preparing nutritious meals, monitoring patient vitals, wound care, and occupational therapy or speech-language therapy.

Below is a deep dive into short-term home care and how it differs from other options. 

Long-term care vs short-term care

The two care services differ in their goals and timelines.

Short-term care lasts a few days or months to ensure a smooth transition from the hospital. In comparison, long-term care is often for life and intended to preserve a patient’s quality of life and health. 

Short-term includes non-medical care (unskilled) and skilled nursing care. Unskilled home care involves helping with daily living activities, including laundry, meal preparation, and bathing. They may also accompany the patient to religious services, errands, walks, or events. On the other hand, skilled care involves monitoring a patient’s vitals, dressing wounds, and speech therapy and physical therapy.

Long-term care is ideal for seniors with chronic or progressive medical conditions that need ongoing assistance or care. It’s often necessary for seniors with Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, or stroke victims.

Although some patients might get well enough to discontinue long-term care, some need it for life.

Is respite care long-term or short-term?

Respite care is a service that provides short-term home care services to individuals who need help with their daily activities so that their primary caregivers can have a break.

Caregiver burnout can be a big problem if you don’t attend to your own needs and have some form of relief from the psychological and physical obligation of caring. Respite care can be for an afternoon or a few days or weeks at home. 

Home care explained

Home care is a service offered to loved ones with special needs that allows them to remain independent in their home. Home care is offered as elder care, for people recovering from an illness, surgery, or injury, or for individuals with a disability.

What is the difference between home care and home health care?

Home health care is skilled care offered by medical professionals and requires a doctor’s order. Home care services are non-medical and designed to help seniors with personal care and daily living activities.

Aside from the type of care provided, the two vary on other fronts, including:

Services

Home health care provides medical services. Home health aides come in to help with bathing, dressing, and grooming until you can do them independently and safely or when your caregiver can safely help you. But even then, their focus is on therapy and skilled nursing.

With home care services, caregivers help with everyday activities minus medical care.

Eligibility

A doctor must certify that you need home health care services according to stipulated criteria, including:

  • You need part-time skilled nursing care aside from drawing blood
  • You need occupational therapy, speech-language therapy, and physical therapy
  • You are homebound

Since most people pay for home care services out of pocket, there’re no eligibility stipulations.

Length of care

Home health care goes on for as long as your doctor orders it and you still fulfill the eligibility requirements. However, home care goes on for as long as you have the need and budget for it.

Payment

Medicare and many private insurance covers pay for home health care. But with home care, and long-term care insurance, the patient, or Medicaid covers the costs.

Care team

Skilled medical professionals, including therapists and private duty nursing professionals, provide home health care, while professional caregivers provide home care services.

Frequency

Healthcare visits are a few hours weekly, depending on the doctor’s orders and the patient’s needs. But home care patients get help 24/7 based on need and their budget.

Location

Home care is delivered at home while home health care is delivered to the patient’s residence, which can include group homes and assisted living facilities. We have offices in Rockville which serves all of Maryland, and a location in Fairfax which services Northern Virginia and Washington DC.

What are the three types of in-home care?

The types of in-home care include:

  • Companionship and personal care – help with daily living activities like meal prep, taking a bath, and dressing.
  • Private duty nursing care – long-term nursing care in the comfort of your home for adults with disabilities, injuries, or chronic illnesses.
  • Respite care – short-term care directed by a professional medical expert designed to help a patient recover from a hospital stay, injury, or illness or prevent it altogether.

Why choose Trusted Touch Healthcare?

There’s no shame in admitting you need help taking care of your loved one. However, choosing the right personal care service is important for your peace of mind. In this regard, Trusted Touch Healthcare is your best bet.

We have a team of experienced, skilled care providers who strive to deliver quality services to every client. Our team is dependable, honest, and has a positive attitude. Working with us, your loved ones will get respect and kindness that’ll go a long way in creating a comfortable and safe environment.

We offer our clients various care services, including short-term and long-term care, respite care, home care, and home health care. We’ll advise and customize a home care plan for your loved one in their best interest. 

Contact us today to discuss the type of care options available or create the best nursing care plan for your loved one.

Maryland areas served

Virginia areas served