If you are considering hiring a home care aide, you may want to better understand what they actually do. Learn what a day in the life of a home care aide can look like.
What is a home care aide?
A home care aide offers a variety of non-medical services, such as transportation, companionship, help with activities of daily living (eating, bathing, going to the bathroom), cooking, and cleaning.
Home care aides are different than home health care aides. Home care is non-medical assistance, while home health care is medical assistance provided by licensed professionals, such as physical or occupational therapy and wound care.
Home care aides help seniors remain in their homes, be comfortable, and stay as independent as possible. They help people to care for themselves with dignity and professionalism.
They get to know people and tailor their services to the needs of the individual.
A daily routine of a home care aide
There are client introductions for every new senior. From there, each person gets a tailored plan of care based on what they need.
Since the services offered are tailored to the individual, there is no typical day in the life of a home care aide since their daily routines vary.
Some seniors may only require brief check-ins during their morning routine to help get them breakfast and get them ready for the day and situated. Others require help with housework or transportation. Some people need help bathing and grooming, or with their bedtime routine. Some seniors require full-time care.
Typically, home care aides see several clients a day for anywhere from 30 minutes to several hours. They may perform the same tasks daily, or each day may look different.
Regardless of the task they perform or how long they are with each client, a key part of everyday is the relationships they form with their clients. They learn about their lives and interests and form a social connection so that both aides and clients can look forward to their next visit.
Types of care home care aides provide
There are many types of care that can be provided.
Personal care
One of the biggest services is personal care, which helps seniors perform their activities of daily living (ADLs). These include feeding themself, going to the bathroom, bathing, brushing their teeth and hair, and dressing.
Mobility assistance
Aides help seniors move around, including getting up from bed or chairs and walking.
Meal prep
Home care aides can help in all areas of meal prep. They can help seniors create a meal plan that meets their dietary needs, restrictions, and preferences.
Then, they can help them go grocery shopping, prepare their meals, feed themselves, and do the dishes.
Light housekeeping
They can help with housekeeping, such as dusting, and laundry.
Provide transportation
They can provide safe transportation for errands, appointments, social events, or wherever the senior would like to go.
Facilitating communication with others
They can help them keep up with family and friends by assisting them to call, text, send mail, email, or video chat. They can also take them to meet up with people.
Manage their schedules
In addition to taking them to social events, they can schedule those events and all their appointments, including hair, dentist, or doctor visits.
Medication compliance
Aides can pick up, oversee, document, or give medication to ensure that the seniors take the correct dose at the correct time.
Help with exercise
They can help seniors complete their exercises or take them to exercise groups or classes, such as a walking or water exercise group.
Help them get mental stimulation
Seniors need mental stimulation to combat cognitive and memory declines. Home care aides can help seniors engage in mentally stimulating activities, such as puzzles, writing, music, or mindfulness.
Ensure their home is safe
Home care aides can go over the CDC’s Fall Prevention Checklist with seniors to ensure their home is free of any fall hazards.
Monitoring their health and safety
Another way aides can prevent falls is by monitoring seniors and helping them move around. They can also monitor for other health issues.
This provides a big, often overlooked benefit—peace of mind. Everyone can rest easy knowing someone trained and responsible is looking out for them or their loved one.
Provide companionship
Home care aides provide companionship care. They provide social connections and talk to seniors about their lives and interests. They can read together, watch TV shows or movies, play games, or participate in the senior’s favorite hobbies.
Respite care
Home care aides offer respite care so that primary caregivers can have a break to take care of their own health and needs. Taking some time to take care of themselves can help prevent caregiver burnout.
It is often a huge relief to know they can take a break and a compassionate home care aide will be there to care for their loved one.
Learn more about the many benefits of respite care.
Dementia or Alzheimer’s care
There are also home care aides who are specially trained to provide care to people with dementia or Alzheimer’s.
Hire Pacific Angel’s Home Care Aides
Pacific Angels Home Care has dedicated, empathetic, and hardworking home care aides who are prepared to take on many responsibilities. We offer all the care discussed, including personal care, housekeeping, meal prep, companionship care, respite care, and dementia and Alzheimer’s care.
We tailor our services to each client’s needs and are available for as few or as many hours as you need.
Each aide is screened (including a background check), trained, insured, and supported by our agency. You do not have to do any of the bureaucratic work. If you need more help or your home care aide is not available at any time, you are already set up with our agency to get you covered by another aide.
For those in the Aptos, Monterey Bay, or Santa Cruz area, give us a call today at (831) 708-2876 or reach us online to request a consultation and learn more about how hiring a professional home care aide can take the weight off your shoulders.
