Approximately over one million Americans live in some type of home assisted living community. More and more, these communities are partnering with home care services to fill in gaps, improving service delivery. Home care companies are, contrary to popular belief, not competitors but rather partners to supplement services. This ensures comprehensive care for seniors, closing gaps of missing care.
Working collaboratively, assisted living facilities (ALFs) and home care make it possible to give more one-on-one attention to residents with more personalized support. There is no need for additional licensing or more staff as the home care agency has the required certifications, and the employees meet the needs of the clients with chronic conditions and other concerns.
Here are a few of the many ways in which home care agencies and assisted living facilities work together:
Easier care handoff when appropriate for the client
When someone is not ready for an assisted living facility but needs care, in-home care prolongs the quality of life until that time comes to enroll in an ALF. When the home care agency is established with an ALF, the handoff to the original referrer is run more smoothly as the relationship is established and communicated. This ensures that during the entire aging process, the client receives the best care at the right time.
Ability to supplement services
ALFs do provide basic services—bathing and grooming, etc—but service gaps may remain. Partnering with a home care agency allows for supplementation of services and possibly at a lower cost to the client. Working with home care agencies additionally allows ALFs to assist seniors with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia while they are on a waitlist for an apartment at a facility. Caregivers can also provide help to these clients who wander and show progressing decline in cognitive abilities. This extra support allows for loved ones to remain independent longer and for prospective residents and families to maintain peace of mind.
Sources:
What Assisted Living Providers Want From Home Care Partnerships
Assisted Living Statistics – A Deeper Dive into the Demographics
