Benefits of a Home Health Aide

By Stacy Thompson

One of the most beneficial resources available to help the seniors we love to maintain their independence is the Home Health Aide. The ultimate goal of Home Health Care for seniors is to allow them to remain as independent as possible, giving them the freedom of living on their own while minimizing the need for full-time care. Home Health Aides can assist with a broad spectrum of tasks. Their dedication and care has an enormous impact on the lives of their patients.

Short-term care is designed to help those recovering from surgery or another serious ailment until they are recovered and able to care for themselves again. For others, long-term assistance is necessary to remain independent. The variety of assistance offered by Home Health can make all the difference.

Bathing commonly becomes more difficult as we grow older. Home Health Aides offer a variety of options to make bathing easier. They can assist with the entire process or they can simply be there to provide a sense of security. It can be reassuring to have help getting in or out of the shower, or to simply be nearby to lend a hand if needed. Having a Home Health Aide for 30 minutes or an hour can have a positive impact on the person’s entire day.

Medication management is another benefit of Home Health. Trying to remember to take one pill a day can be a chore for most of us. Imagine taking several pills, with different dosages, several times a day. Taking medication inconsistently or incorrectly can wreak havoc on health. That’s where Home Health can step in to lend a hand. While it might be as easy as setting up daily medication boxes for patients, they can also provide electronic medication boxes. These boxes have an alarm that can be programmed to go off at specific times of the day to alert the patient that it is time to take their medication. This can be essential for patients who have memory problems to continue living independently.

Companion care is when Home Health Aides are with patients for longer periods of time. They help with everyday tasks that can require an extra pair of hands, such as grocery shopping, housekeeping, and laundry. In addition, companion care aides are able to stay with the patient up to 12 hours per day, working on various activities to keep patients happy and healthy. Home Health Aides can work with patients on their social skills, play different games designed to give their brains a bit of a workout and be a reassuring presence in the lives of their patients.

Home Health also offers physical therapy, speech therapy, and skilled nursing in patients’ homes. This is extremely beneficial for those with limited mobility, allowing them to remain in their homes while the professionals come to them.

The caring individuals who work in Home Health are providing a necessary service, allowing seniors to stay out of full-time care and remain in the comfort of their own homes. Help with the essentials of life has a profound effect on the happiness and independence of patients as well as their families. Perhaps the most important benefit of Home Health Aides is the peace of mind families get by knowing their loved one(s) are well taken care of.

About the author: Stacy Thompson is a Home Health Specialist and Certified Nursing Assistant working in Advent Christian Village’s Home Health Agency, which provides services to not only ACV members, but across Suwannee and Lafayette counties. Previously, Stacy worked in the emergency department, ICU, pediatrics department, and cardiac care department at Shands Lake Shore in Lake City, Florida. She has also worked in independent home care, private home care, and been involved in Guardian ad Litem as a representative for abused, abandoned and neglected adults.