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Mom and Dad Just Want <strong>to</strong> Stay at Home:<br />
“Home Care Services Can Be the Answer”<br />
When you ask people where they<br />
want <strong>to</strong> spend their elder years, it<br />
usually is at home or in a homelike<br />
setting like an apartment or assisted<br />
living. Many people can remain<br />
independent for many years.<br />
At some point, however, they may<br />
need some help. That is where<br />
home care can help.<br />
What is Home Care? Home care is<br />
a broad and extensive continuum of<br />
services. It may include non-medical<br />
services like homemaking services<br />
or personal care attendant services<br />
<strong>to</strong> licensed and certified services including<br />
skilled nursing, therapy and<br />
medical social services.<br />
Many people need help with grocery<br />
shopping, house cleaning and<br />
other chore services. Some people<br />
pay for these services out-of-pocket.<br />
For people who meet certain income<br />
requirements, these services<br />
can be provided under Medicaid’s<br />
Elderly Waiver Services Program.<br />
Personal Care Attendants, Personal<br />
Care Provider Organizations<br />
and some licensed agencies provide<br />
assistance <strong>to</strong> individuals with<br />
activities of daily living like dressing,<br />
grooming, bathing, eating, positioning,<br />
transferring, & <strong>to</strong>ileting.<br />
Certain income requirements must<br />
be met or spent down <strong>to</strong> qualify for<br />
these services under the MN Medical<br />
Assistance (MA) Program.<br />
The Minnesota Department of<br />
Health licenses home care providers.<br />
Some of those licenses include<br />
Class F, Assisted Living, Class B<br />
Paraprofessional Agency license<br />
and Class A Professional Agency<br />
license. The Class B license allows<br />
providers <strong>to</strong> assist clients with activities<br />
of daily living who just need<br />
a little assistance <strong>to</strong> perform these<br />
duties. A Class A agency provides<br />
services <strong>to</strong> people who are not<br />
able <strong>to</strong> perform activities on their<br />
own and who need assistance with<br />
medications, wound care and other<br />
kinds of hands-on care.<br />
Medicare Certified Agencies can<br />
provide skilled services such as<br />
nursing, therapy services and<br />
home health aide services <strong>to</strong> clients<br />
on an acute, intermittent basis<br />
following illness, injury or change<br />
in disease status. Services are<br />
physician-driven and reimbursement<br />
is contingent on the person<br />
being homebound. In most cases,<br />
the client needs <strong>to</strong> be 65 or older<br />
<strong>to</strong> qualify for these services. Services<br />
tend <strong>to</strong> be provided for short<br />
periods of time while the person’s<br />
condition improves or stabilizes.<br />
They gave you only the best care growing up.<br />
Now it’s time <strong>to</strong> return the favor.<br />
Pinnacle Services offers the highest quality<br />
home care for Twin Cities seniors. Our<br />
respectful, individualized approach ensures your loved ones are cared for and<br />
protected while continuing <strong>to</strong> live confident, independent and dignified lives.<br />
Call Pinnacle <strong>to</strong>day at 612-977-3119 and speak with a licensed RN about home<br />
care services or visit our website at www.pinnacleservices.org.<br />
© 2009 Pinnacle Services<br />
Articles Page 20 Senior Housing Direc<strong>to</strong>ry