In-home Care: Choosing The Right Caregiver Can Save Thousands Of Dollars And Provide Better Senior Care

CLEVELAND, Dec. 2, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- If you are like tens of millions of Americans you have found a caregiver for a frail, elderly person in your life - or you will need to find a caregiver one day.

"What you might not know is that there are several types of caregivers who provide care for the elderly. They have different skill levels and they charge different rates. How do you know which one - or combination of them - is best for the needs of the person in need of care?" said Dr. Cathleen Carr, Executive Director of CertifiedCare.org, one of the nation's oldest and most respected organizations that provides certification, training and job placement assistance for caregivers.

"First, be clear about the healthcare and daily personal needs of your loved one," said Carr, an elder care attorney. You can hire a Geriatric Care Manager or a social worker to perform a Needs Assessment. The National Institute of Health suggests this report contain a summary of functional and cognitive assessments, a list of medications, a home environment and psychosocial assessment and a written care plan that includes a summary of recommendations. This plan then needs to be incorporated into a long-term elder health care plan for your frail, elderly person. This way it is easier to provide the right services at the right time to help and protect them.

Next, you need to find and hire the right person or team to meet the needs of the loved one and the requirements of the long-term plan. So, which type of caregiver do you hire?

There are three general types of caregivers:

1. Family Caregiver - a relative or friend who steps up to the plate to provide care. Depending on their own personal skills and ability, they provide all care for their loved one that they are able to and rely on others for special needs they cannot meet. Family Caregivers usually provide their services for little or no cost; however, the trend is toward government subsidy of these caregivers who must usually give up their own employment to be able to care for another. There is also a movement toward requiring certified Family Caregivers to reduce the incidence of elder abuse and neglect.

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