In Home Services
State Home Care Program
Care Management
At Elder Services of the Merrimack Valley, we believe most elders want to remain in their homes for as long as possible. Sometimes this can become difficult when an elder’s health declines and managing routine tasks is a struggle. It can be stressful for caregivers assisting an elder relative whether they live close by or at a distance. Care Managers offer expertise and assistance to help families get the right services and support they need for a senior, including help with personal care, meal preparation, housekeeping, shopping, and errands.
A Care Manager/Nurse Team works closely with elders, families, and community agencies to develop and coordinate service plans that address someone’s need for care. Services are provided by community agencies selected for quality and cost, and include: adult day care, companionship, home health care, medical transportation, personal care, homemaker or chore services, or home delivered meals. Home visits and phone calls help the care management team insure the appropriateness and quality of the services being provided and to assist an elder with any new problems that arise. Assistance may be offered wherever an elder lives in the community – in their own home, living with family members, or in elder housing.
Home Care Services
Home Care services are available to seniors who want to maintain their independence and continue to live at home. Services may either be paid for privately, or are offered through the Massachusetts State Home Care program. To receive services through the state Home Care program, elders must meet financial and need eligibility guidelines.
Home Care Services may include:
- Homemaking - A homemaker helps elders who live on their own with daily tasks such as shopping, laundry, meal preparation, and light housekeeping (vacuum, dust, wash dishes, change bed linens, and clean kitchens and bathrooms).
- Personal Care (PC) Homemaker - A personal care homemaker helps a person with their personal care needs including; bathing and grooming, dressing and undressing, toileting, mobility including transfers and use of assistive medical devices like canes, walkers, wheelchairs or hoyer lifts, eating and passive range of motion exercises. Nurses develop the personal care service plans, and monitor the PC homemaker activities.
- Chore Services - The focus is on cleaning and including: vacuuming, dusting, cleaning kitchens and bathrooms, changing bed linens, and laundry.
- Home Delivered Meals - Is a program created to help feed elders who are home bound, and have difficulty preparing meals for themselves. A nutritious hot meal is delivered at lunch time to their door by a friendly trained volunteer. Emergency meals are also available to provide food to elders during weather emergencies or over the course of a weekend if assistance is needed.
Companionship
A companion offers social activities and friendship to elders who are isolated and often homebound. These activities can include, conversation, reading aloud, playing cards, letter writing, listening to music and completing puzzles or playing games. This helps elders avoid being isolated and lonely which can lead to depression and other serious health problems.
Consumer Directed Care
This program allows elders a choice in the way they receive Home Care services. It includes the options of personal choice in recruiting, hiring, scheduling or discharging their own care providers. Elder Services staff helps “coach” an individual in the management of their care. A Fiscal Intermediary manages the financial transactions between an elder and their care provider.
Individuals must be 60 years of age and older, meet the need for services, and have income within Home Care guidelines.
Personal Care Attendant Program
Some individuals want the choice of recruiting and hiring their own personal care attendants. Mass Health provides this opportunity to Mass Health recipients who are diagnosed with a permanent disability or chronic illness. The Personal Care Attendant Program allows a consumer to recruit, hire, schedule, and if needed, discharge their own worker who assists them with their personal care needs. The worker can be a family member except for spouses, parents, legal guardians, or surrogates.
To be eligible individuals must live in the community and receive Mass Health benefits. They must have a chronic disability or illness, and require physical assistance with at least two activities of daily living. Their primary care physician must prescribe PCA services.
Alzheimer’s Care
Managing the care of an individual diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease can be increasingly difficult as the disease progresses. To assist with the care of an Alzheimer’s patient, there are a number of home care services to access. There are also Adult Day Health centers that specialize in providing services specifically for Alzheimer patients and their families.
Elder Services is a member of the Merrimack Valley Alzheimer’s Partnership which provides information, support, and resources to family caregivers. Each spring, the Partnership hosts a day long Alzheimer’s conference, the only event of its kind offered north of Boston. Both professionals and caregivers spend the day learning about the latest research and resources available to help manage this difficult disease. Respite care is available for elder relatives so that families may participate in the conference.
For more information about any of these services or programs contact the Age Information Center at 1-800-892-0890.