About Home Care

Home care offers a wide range of health and social services. These services are provided in the homes of recovering, disabled, chronically or terminally ill people needing medical, nursing, social, or therapeutic treatment or assistance with daily care.

People choose home care for a variety of reasons. Some need ongoing care that may be difficult for family and friends to provide or they may have no caregiver in the home. Those in the aging community may use supportive services such as: bathing, meals-on-wheels, chore services or transportation that allow them to age-in-place.

Those who are disabled, recovering from illness, as well as sick infants and children recover more and are more comfortable when they receive care in the security of their own homes. Home care services are often provided by home care agencies; they may be Medicare Certified, have an accreditation or they may be an independent provider or a nursing registry.

Home care and community based organizations may include:

• Home health agencies
• Hospices
• Homemaker and home care aide agencies
• Staffing and private-duty agencies
• Companies specializing in medical equipment and supplies
• Pharmaceuticals
• Drug infusion therapy
• Independent Providers

Home care services are usually available 24 hours a day. The needs of each patient vary, as do the services provided by home care. The agency may provide only a nurse and a home care aide or that person may require a variety of team members such as nurses, aides, therapists, and/or social workers to meet their needs.

You may find a home care agency by referring to the "Find a Provider" tool on this and other pages on this website. Additionally, talking to your physician is one way to locate an agency to provide the needed services. Another way to locate an agency is to ask family and friends. Often they or a family member have previously received care and could provide a referral. Patients today have a wide range of choices not available only a few years ago.

Click here to learn more about Ohio Hospice & Palliative Care Organization, Ohio Home Care Organization.

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