senior care resources

Senior Care Resources

Dayton, Ohio

From senior care guides to FAQ’s, our resources are a wealth of information to help you navigate senior care for your loved one.

Senior Care Guides

Agency Comparison Checklist

At Home Care Assistance, we are committed to helping families make the best possible decision regarding care for their loved ones.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is home care?
In-home care provides seniors with one-to-one assistance in the comfort of their own home, which enables them to live independently. Home Care Assistance helps seniors maintain their quality of life, and the personal attention they receive vastly improves their safety, health, and happiness. Home care includes assistance with activities of daily living such as meal preparation, bathing, transportation, laundry, medication reminders, light housekeeping, and companionship.
My parents are reluctant to accept home care. Now what?
Convincing older adults that they need help at home can be challenging. While they balk at the thought of losing independence, the opposite is actually true. By having a little help, they are much more likely to retain independence because they remain in control of decisions affecting their lifestyle. Once a crisis occurs (a fall, dehydration, a severe UTI), decisions about their care will be in the hands of others. With professional home care, families can enjoy peace of mind knowing their loved ones are in safe and caring hands. We have a couple of ideas: Ask your parents to try home care, at least temporarily. Once they meet their caregiver and see how nice it is to have an extra set of hands, “temporary” almost always becomes permanent. Come up with another name for “caregiver.” Some of our clients are more receptive to having a personal assistant or a housekeeper/chef. Ask your parents to do this for you …agree to a meeting with our owner. Once your parents meet our owner and understand that our company shares their goal of remaining at home, it’s a less threatening proposition.
Who pays for home care?
The services offered by home care companies like ours are not covered by the government. The government typically only covers a limited number of visits by a nurse, physical therapist, or occupational therapist after a hospital stay or for homebound clients who have high medical needs. However, if you have a long-term care insurance policy, your policy benefits can help pay for your home care. We can help you better understand your policy benefits and provide assistance in submitting all ongoing claims. See the next question for more information. Q: Do you accept my Long-Term Care Insurance? A: Home Care Assistance accepts Long-Term Care Insurance. If you are unsure about whether or not your insurance policy covers our services, we can help you. Our partner company, FHS Senior Care Payment Solutions®, can verify your benefits upfront and shoulder all of the time-consuming work of submitting claims, following up with the insurance company, and monitoring the reimbursements by taking the Assignment of Benefits. “FHS” and Home Care Assistance are your advocates in case your claims are denied, delayed or appealed. With 30 years’ experience helping families with Long-Term Care Insurance, you can rely on us to handle it all: Explain exactly what your policy covers Ensure you receive all the benefits you’re entitled to Weekly claims filing and follow-up Faster approvals and reimbursements Support for denials, delays, and appeals plus ongoing advocacy.
Why should I use a company rather than hire a caregiver on my own?
Here are the reasons: With a private caregiver, you need to do the proper screening and background checks. After you hire that person, you then become a supervisor, and it isn’t always easy! We have a very rigorous system for screening and interviewing caregivers, so we hire only the highest quality caregivers. Plus we handle all ongoing caregiver issues so the family never has to deal with it. When your private caregiver calls in sick or must head out of town to take care of a sick family member, you’re stuck finding a replacement or taking care of your loved one yourself. When you use a company, there are always back-up caregivers available. Our caregivers are our employees, which means we pay all of their taxes and Worker’s Compensation. Quite a few caregivers are injured on the job, and the Worker’s Compensation Bureau can come to your loved one looking for compensation if your caregiver files a claim. Our caregivers work under a care plan developed by an expert in the field, and they have a team of supervisors who keep a close eye on the level of care being provided. It takes a lot more coordination than people think. And to get the best care, you should involve professionals. Most important, however, is the fact that when you choose Home Care Assistance, you are hiring an entire team of people who care. We’re there for the journey!
What’s unique about Home Care Assistance?
The most significant feature of our company is our approach to home care. We’re not interested in “adult babysitting” and we aren’t simply a housekeeping service. We provide ongoing care management to ensure that the care is of the highest standard and that our caregivers are helping our Clients lead high-quality, purposeful lives. We are the top senior care provider in Dayton. Another feature is that we specialize in live-in care, providing a quality alternative to an assisted living or skilled nursing facility. As you will see on our website, so many pieces of our philosophy contribute to our success: consistency in caregivers, a proprietary system for screening caregivers, a unique Balanced Care training program, and more. If you decide to interview several home care companies, you need to keep us on your short list. Quite simply, we are the best in the business.
How do you choose caregivers?
One of the reasons we are so successful is our ability to match clients and caregivers. After our initial meeting and assessment with you or your loved one, our Care Manager will have an excellent idea of the level of care needed and the type of personality that would be a good fit. At that point, our care team brainstorms on which of our employees would be a good fit. Nearly 100% of the time, we are right on target with our “matchmaking” skills. However, anytime during the relationship that the client wants to change caregivers — for any reason — we willingly do so.
Do I have to sign a contract?
No. While we have an agreement that spells out expectations, we do not require a long-term commitment to our services. We want you to use us only if you are 100% satisfied. As a matter of fact, we encourage older adults who are undecided about the value of home care to simply give us a try, even if it’s only for a month.
Does home care have to be at home or in home?
Our care goes wherever seniors need it. Our caregivers can even provide one-to-one services for seniors during hospital stays or after admission to an assisted living facility, ensuring that seniors maintain the high level of personal care and companionship they deserve. Our caregivers can even accompany seniors on vacation!
Will the caregiver move in to the senior’s home?
Caregivers stay in the home only for the duration of their assigned shift. Caregivers must maintain a separate residence and are not allowed to use the personal property of the senior without permission from the senior. They may not have visitors or invite family to the home while they are working.

HCA Wellness Book Collection

happy to 102 senior care resources

Happy To 102

This first book of our wellness collection focuses on the factors contributing to healthy longevity. Since we’re living longer and longer, making those later years healthy ones is increasingly important. Happy to 102 explains the approach to diet, exercise, mental stimulation, social connectedness, and purpose which can mean a delay or avoidance of diseases like cancer, heart disease, bone loss, diabetes, and dementia.

The handbook of live-in care senior care resources

The Handbook of Live-In Care

Looking for clear, practical advice on caring for an aging parent or loved one? The Handbook of Live-In Care, the second book in our collection, offers useful help. Whether you are new to care-giving or a veteran, this book has benefits for you. While caring for an older adult is challenging, helping a person stay in the comfort of their own surroundings and maintain maximum independence can mean empowering your loved one to a greater sense of control and purpose.

hospital to home care

Hospital To Home

This book focuses on what to do when you, or a loved one, return to the comforts of home from a hospital stay. Often, families are unprepared for the increased care needs and the recent patient is unaware of the extent to which the hospital supported everyday functioning. Additionally, seniors may be very concerned about their ability to suddenly stay safely at home alone, in their weakened state, post surgery or illness. Learn to navigate the various care options post discharge.

the five senses

The Five Senses

Gain insights and concrete advice to assist older adults in coping with the changes in sensory awareness that often come with aging. Our sense organs are vulnerable to medication side effects, chronic conditions, stroke, and even habits of a lifetime. Since we experience the world through our senses, managing altered abilities will be fundamental to successful, satisfactory aging. The Five Senses gives an overview of potential changes and offers practical guidance for maintaining quality of life in the face of actual changes in perception.

mind over grey matter

Mind Over Grey Matter: A New Approach to Dementia Care

Many people are caring for an older adult with dementia. This care giving can be rewarding and very challenging. The nature of a brain disease means each experience is unique. Mind Over Grey Matter offers enormously helpful and practical advice. People with dementia deserve the best quality of life possible; this book can help caregivers provide care which not only does this, but may slow the dementia’s progression. Equipped with actual techniques, families are better able to provide the support and resources loved ones need to continue to live in their own familiar surroundings.

the senior sleep solution

The Senior Sleep Solution

So much of our bodies change as we age—our sleep patterns are no exception. Research tells us people of every age need to rest well to help rebuild immune systems after the damage of everyday living and allow busy minds a break. Sleep improves memory and performance, and a prolonged lack of it not only impairs our ability to learn, it can actually cause our brains to shrink. The thoroughly researched strategies presented in The Senior Sleep Solution include specific steps for seniors with dementia and various sleep disorders.

The Cognitive Therapeutics Method™

The Cognitive Therapeutics Method™

Non-Pharmacological Approaches to Slowing the Cognitive and Functional Decline Associated with Dementia

Cognitive Therapeutics Method™ is the seventh book in our senior wellness series and focuses on the Cognitive Therapeutics Method™.

Spot the Early Signs of Alzheimer’s Disease senior care resources

A Practical Guide to Brain Health

Is it possible to rewire the brain to enhance cognitive health as we age? The Brain Boost: A Practical Guide to Brain Health draws on cutting-edge research from the fields of cognitive science, neuropsychology and medicine to show that anyone can boost his or her brain performance through lifestyle changes. Full of fascinating studies—from explorations of the hippocampi of London taxi drivers to the role of the emotional tone of music in enhancing cognitive function in those with Alzheimer’s.

Are You Ready to Get Started With In Home Care?

Home Care Assistance of Dayton can help you or a loved one today.

Contact us now for a complimentary in-home or virtual assessment.

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