Did You Know? Home Care may be one of the best kept secrets. How many people understand just what caregiving is? What—is that someone who comes in and does small repairs on your house? I’ve actually received responses like that when talking about my job. I’m surprised, but not offended, that so many people are unfamiliar with the benefits and services of home care. Many who have heard of it really don’t understand what kind of caregiving options are available. As our founder Haley Gray says though, “You don’t know what you don’t know.”
In that spirit, I’d like share with you about two types of home care. When you are responsible for the care of a loved one, it pays to have a thorough understanding of the range of services available. Extension of You has license from the State of North Carolina to provide companion care and personal care. Let’s look at the two different levels.
Companion Care
Extension of You has always provided Companion Care. That’s things like keeping company, keeping someone safe, preparing meals, light housekeeping, and providing life enhancing activities. If a client and their family live apart, this kind of caregiving can give the family peace of mind knowing that their loved one is safe and cared for. Sometimes family caregivers have their loved one close by or even in the same house. Companion care can give family members respite (rest or the opportunity to enjoy more quality time by letting a caregiver take care of chores.
Personal Care
With the licensing, Extension of You now provides Personal Care. But wait—isn’t companion care personal care? You could say that, but by definition, personal care includes more intimate services. It covers tasks that require an advanced level of training. It’s things like assistance with bathing, hygiene, going to the bathroom, or repositioning a patient confined to bed. It is sometimes referred to as hands-on care. Personal care is sometimes the kind of caregiving that someone may be embarrassed to receive from family members or friends. In that case, having a professional to help with those tasks can relieve a great deal of stress.
You can think of it as different levels of care, each vital in their own right. A client may initially need only the services of a companion caregiver. Later they may need a higher level of care. Personal care providers can provide both companion care and hands-on services.
I hope that this has provided some clarification about something that can at times be a little confusing. I’d love to hear your thoughts or questions about the two types of care. Is there something you’d like to know about caregiving? Please join me in conversation below or give us a call.
My grandpa is old, and I am worried that with him living on his own, that he is not able to take good care of himself. My family and I aren’t sure what would be best for his situation. From what you said about personal care, and how they help bathe, cook, and clean their patient, I feel like that would be best for my grandpa. I will let my parents know about this right away. Thanks a ton for this.
Brandon – Thank you for your thoughtful comment. After we receive a call for care, our Agency Director, who is a registered nurse, visits to make an assessment of care needs. If those needs are within the scope of companion or personal care, she will explain care options and help create a care plan for the family. If the client needs a higher level of care than we are able to provide, we will let them know and recommend appropriate services. If we can be of assistance, please give us a call. Best wishes to your family.