What Are the Options for Elderly Home Care in Minnesota?
When an older adult needs additional support to maintain an independent lifestyle, many families turn to elderly home care. Minnesota offers various home care options that address different levels of assistance and specific needs. These options allow older adults to age in a comfortable and safe place. With support from these organizations, families can have peace of mind knowing their loved one is not alone for long stretches of time, particularly if the family has scheduling conflicts.
Every family needs the right information to make an informed choice for their loved one. Let’s look at some of the elderly home care options in Minnesota.
Elderly Home Care in Minnesota
In-home care services are perfect for older adults who need additional support in their daily lives to live independently. In-home care services provide a dedicated caregiver to help your loved one with tasks like light cleaning, cooking, transportation to appointments, and grocery shopping.
Minnesota offers many different elderly home care services, depending on what your loved one needs. First, let’s look at the protections in place that govern home care programs.
Home Care and Assisted Living Program (HCALP)
In Minnesota, the Home Care and Assisted Living Program (HCALP) protects, maintains, and improves Minnesotans who are in need of home care services. Organizations that provide home care services must be licensed or registered with the State of Minnesota. The HCALP surveys home care providers at least once every three years to ensure the services comply with home care laws. This program also helps educate and collaborate with families, legislature, and interest groups regarding these laws. The HCALP is important to ensure the integrity of home care support providers.
Minnesota State Programs and Assistance
The state of Minnesota provides several state-supported programs to assist older adults who are aging in place by providing financial support, case management, and home care services.
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Elderly Waiver (EW): This is a Medicaid program that helps cover the cost of in-home care services for qualifying seniors, allowing them to receive care in their homes or communities rather than nursing homes.
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Alternative Care (AC) Program: For seniors who do not qualify for Medicaid but need assistance paying for home care, this program offers financial support for non-medical services such as personal care, respite care, and homemaker services.
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Personal Care Assistance (PCA): This program allows seniors to receive help with activities of daily living such as grooming, bathing, eating, and light housekeeping.
In-Home Care Agencies
In-home care agencies may offer medical or non-medical services in the comfort of your home.
Some agencies provide personal care assistance, and others, like Joyful Companions, provide
non-medical support for older adults who want to remain in their homes but need help with daily
activities. The cost of these services is out of pocket and paid for privately.
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Companionship, social interaction, and emotional support
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Meal preparation
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Light housekeeping
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Medication reminders
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Transportation
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Communication with family members
Respite Care
Respite care services provide temporary relief for family caregivers by offering short-term professional care at home for older adults. This is an essential service for caregivers who need additional support or are unavailable due to work, travel, or personal needs.
Professional caregivers will come to the older adult’s home for a few hours or days, depending on the level of assistance required. Some agencies can provide 24/7, round-the-clock support and care. Respite care helps ensure loved ones receive attentive and compassionate care when the family caregivers are unavailable.
How Joyful Companions Can Provide In-Home Care Support
An organization like Joyful Companions, an in-home care organization near St. Paul, MN, can provide non-medical home care for older adults living alone or in senior living facilities. Since 2007, Joyful Companions has provided personalized home care services for older adults. Joyful Companions is a family-owned and locally-operated companion care business, here to assist families with memory care, in-home care, and in-home memory care.
With a professional caregiver from Joyful Companions, your loved one will receive the best care and companionship. As one satisfied customer stated:
“My joyful companion takes my mom to appointments, helps her shop, write cards and address envelopes, and helps to improve her mood. They have been a huge reason the senior living center is working out well for our mom, and it is a great relief to us kids that she has people who will be a friend to her on a regular basis.”
Even if your loved one just needs a regular check-in by a professional caregiver, Joyful Companions can provide. Our dedicated and trained professional caregivers will keep your loved one company, help with tasks around the house, provide transportation, and keep you in the loop regarding your loved one’s mood.
For in-home care in the Twin Cities, call Joyful Companions today at 763-544-0401 or request a free consultation online.