Health And Fitness | Important Things To Know About Home Care ...

Many aging seniors often come to a point when they see their need for some help at home. This is the time when family members begin to realize that their senior loved ones need some help and/or constant supervision with their daily activities, such as bathing and grooming. They find that some housework and daily errands are either done with much struggle or are not done at all. Everyday their need for a care assistant becomes clearer.

What is a Care Assistant?

A home care assistant, or sometimes referred to as a home health aide, is a health care worker skilled in the various aspects of senior care for individuals dwelling in their own private homes. They may not have the high level of training and skills to qualify them as registered nurses, care assistants are also Certified Nursing Assistants and are often hired by respectable agencies, although you can also locate them through independent means.

Home Care Assistant's Training

Home care assistants are trained and certified by certified national or state-level programs. These training programs which are mostly handled by registered nurses are usually affiliated either with a university or a community college. Those who opt for the best programs have to attend at least a year of classes and an extensive on-the-job training after that.

Roles and Responsibilities

A home care assistant is primarily responsible for relieving the skilled medical professionals of some of their burdens. They work directly under the supervision of either nurses or doctors, who also provide them some form of training in performing their actual duties. To be more specific, here are some of the main responsibilities of a home care assistant:

-Bathing and restroom assistance

-Grooming and dressing

-Monitoring of vital signs

-Medication monitoring

-Meal preparation and eating assistance

-Bed positioning

-Mobility support

-Exercise support

-Providing in-home assistance to doctors, nurses, or physical therapists

The following household duties may also be performed by home care assistants depending on their agreement with their employers;

-Housekeeping

-Cleaning

-Laundry

-Errands

-Phone calls

Home care assistants may also provide companionship and friendly conversation. This element is a typical part of a training program's curriculum. This only means that home care assistants are expected to always have a positive attitude at work and do their best to establish an amicable and healthy rapport both with their senior clients and their families.

Additional role of a health care assistant, which is very important, is to provide support in times when nurses can't come. As a whole, prescribed nurses only visit periodically. Home care assistants are expected to take up the slack when they can't be available, and that includes even the late night hours.

Things that a Home Care Assistant Can't Do

A home care assistant is trained not to go beyond the limits of his duties. In most cases, they are not allowed by law to perform certain tasks that are considered exclusive duties of doctors and registered nurses. The following are some of the tasks that care assistants are legally forbidden from doing:

-Give injections

-Directly administer medication

-Give medical advice or guidance

-Operate physical therapy equipment

-Insert intravenous lines

Part of the training given to home care assistants is managing emergency situations and recognizing when there's a need for a doctor or nurse.

Finding a Home Care Assistant

Before you search for a home care assistant, it is important that you evaluate the needs and values of the senior who will receive care. Consider whether he or she is more comfortable working with someone of similar cultural background or someone who can also speak his own native language. Seniors who will be needing help with personal care may also want someone of the same gender.

The best way to find a home care assistant is to ask for recommendations from someone you trust, either from a friend or a relative. You can also advertise through an Independent Living Centers, local senior center, college center, or any place which have social work or nursing programs.

Because the relationship between the care assistant and the senior care recipient and his family is very important, you should take the time to carefully select the care assistant that fits the job description. Also, in order to establish a good relationship you must build up a good communication with your care assistant. Arrange a specific time when you can meet and discuss worries, issues, or changes. Make sure your expectations are clearly stated and that you provide him plenty of training in order to meet your expectations.

About Author Peter Mangiola : Peter Mangiola is founder of Senior Helpers in home care brick nj. Our brick nj personal care services will provide you with as much care necessary for your loved ones to enjoy living independently at home. Learn more at http://www.seniorhelpersnj.com ##lt gt####lt gt##

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Article Added on Monday, September 3, 2012
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