Home Care is the provision of services to a client in their home setting, this can be in their own home, an independent living facility, and an assisted living facility.

Home Care is divided into two specific areas -
Skilled Care and Private Duty Care - what does this mean?

Skilled Care is defined as any service provided to a client that is covered by a license. For these services the Agency has to hold a State License to practice these services, and the services have to be performed by a state licensed individual employed by the agency.

For example:
Diabetic services: glucose monitoring, the administration of Insulin
Wound Care: application of medication to wounds, changing of wound dressings as ordered by a physician.
Medication Set Up - pouring medications into boxes labeled by times and days of the week
Administration of medications to a client either orally, by injection, by intravenous application, via G-Tube.
Administration of liquids and liquid foods through a G-Tube.
Taking and recording of Blood Pressure, Pulse and temperature, if a physician will use this information to change either the dosage of a medication, or to prescribe a new medication.

Private Duty Care is defined as any non skilled services provided to a client by home care workers employed by the agency, these services are broken into three categories, the level of care giver is defined by the client's needs.

For example:
Category 1

Assistance with services such as:
Basic meal preparation, and planning, shopping, light housekeeping, laundry, escort and transportation services, maintaining a safe environment.
Observation, monitoring and reporting on a client's condition Sustains client's independence where appropriate and safe.

Category 2

As above and may include services such as:
Ambulation and transfers Appropriate client teaching consistent with caregiver training and client need
Assistance with eating Bathing, grooming, dressing
Monitoring of skin integrity Observation and reporting intake of food and fluids
Observation and reporting of frequency of elimination Medication REMINDERS and observation

Category 3

As above and may include services such as:
Assistance with prescribed exercises, rehabilitation activities, specific non-skilled duties as defined under a medically supervised plan of care.