Many people have misconceptions about the benefits of home care services and the responsibilities home care health workers perform. There are several types of in home health care services available to support patients who have limited abilities or who can no longer live independently but would still like to remain in the environment of their own home.
The basic job description for an in home care provider is a person who assists the elderly or disabled with daily living activities in a client’s place of residence. Duties performed may include:
- Health Care Related Tasks
This type of service includes monitoring vital signs or medication management. Professionally trained health care providers can apply medical attention in certain 
situations.
- Housekeeping Duties
This could include cooking, cleaning, laundry, or taking care of a pet. It’s important that a healthy and nutritious diet is a part of everyday. Often the elderly are unable to maintain the standards necessary for healthy eating or they miss meals altogether.
It is also important that elderly, who choose to remain at home, live in a safe and clean environment. They need to have clothes that are clean but may not be able to do laundry as they once did. If they are no longer able to clean up after a pet, this could be another responsibility for an in home care provider.
- Transportation
Health care providers are extremely helpful when your elderly loved one needs to get around to locations out of the home. It might be an appointment at the physician’s office, an activity they enjoy, physical therapy, or running errands, such as food shopping or picking up medication from the pharmacy.
- Hygiene
Depending on a client’s limitations, in home care providers can help with the everyday personal grooming tasks. They can assist with bathing, dressing, and getting a client to and from the bathroom.
- Companionship
Some in-home health care services focus on having people available to provide companionship. Many seniors with physical limitations, who live on their own, have no means of going out of the home to socialize or interact with others. This is a great service for those who do not have or have access to other family members or friends.
While it is not always a requirement, many home health care agencies mandate that their employees are certified nurses or nurse assistants. However, it depends on the level of service that an elderly client is looking for.
Duties or responsibilities of those who are medically certified could include changing the dressing on post-surgery wounds, distributing medication, physical therapy, and administering first aid or CPR.
Regardless if a patient requires medical or non-medical assistance, home care services can promote quality of life to those who are unable to perform some of life’s everyday tasks.
If you have a loved one who could benefit from the help of home care services in Houston, TX contact the caregivers at At Your Side Home Care. We help seniors and their families with many levels of home care service. Call (832) 271-1600 for more information.
Our Certified Nurse Aides, 24-Hour Live-in Assistants and Home Health Aides are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We also provide the security and confidence of 24-hour Telephone Assistance, so fast, reliable help is always available when it's needed. To learn more about our homecare services see our homecare services page.
Different people need different levels of homecare. To meet the requirements of our clients, At Your Side Homecare maintains consistent staffing levels of caring professionals. Homecare service is available for as little as a few hours a week, or as many as 24 hours a day, seven days a week
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