What is In-Home Care?
In-home care includes any professional support services that allow individuals to live safely in their homes. In-home care services can improve a person's quality of life by helping individuals who require some level of home care assistance to live independently, including people who are managing a chronic medical condition, individuals recovering from a short-term health issue, or persons with special needs or a disability.
There are three in-home care alternatives available to seniors who require or desire medical or non-medical care but residing in an assisted living or independent living community is not a practical option. These options include non-medical home care, medical home care/private duty nursing, and home health care.
What is Non-Medical Home Care?
Non-medical home care, the most common, provides companionship, help with daily activities (such as dressing, bathing, and meals), and assistance managing tasks around the house. Home care aides are trained to understand the complexities of providing senior care, but they are typically not licensed medical professionals.
Non-medical home care generally includes, but is not limited to:
- Companionship / social activities
- Assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs), such as bathing, dressing, meal preparation, etc.
- Home organization and cleaning
- Financial management or assistance with paying bills
- Transportation to medical appointments and personal activities
Non-medical home care is best suited for:
- Seniors who are isolated at home and want/need companionship.
- People who require assistance with ADLs, such as bathing, dressing, meal preparation, etc.
- Elderly individuals who would benefit from help with household tasks, like cooking, cleaning, and reading mail.
- Seniors who need transportation to and from events and medical appointments.
What is Medical Home Care?
Medical home care, also called private duty nursing, provides long-term, hourly nursing care at home for adults with a chronic injury, illness, or disability. In Virginia, a caregiver must be at least certified as a Certified Nursing Assistant. The Virginia Board of Nursing provides a user-friendly portal to verify the license information for Virginia caregivers.
Medical home care generally includes, but is not limited to:
- Skilled nursing services
- Care for neurological disorders, respiratory conditions, and autoimmune diseases
- Ventilator, tracheostomy, feeding tube, and catheter care
- Health monitoring
- Administration of medications
Medical home care is best suited for:
- Patients with chronic conditions who need extensive skilled nursing care to remain at home.
- Patients who require device-based respiratory assistance, to include tracheostomy and ventilator care, oxygen support, and suctioning.
- Patients dependent on extended drug therapy or intravenous nutrition, with needs exceeding those generally covered by home infusion therapy services.
What is Home Health Care?
Home health care offers short-term, physician-directed care by a licensed professional (such as registered and licensed practical nurses, occupational therapists, physical therapists, or speech-language therapists), often through home health agencies or, in some cases, hospice agencies. Home health care is designed to best help a patient prevent or recover from an illness, injury, or hospitalization.
Home health care generally includes, but is not limited to:
- Medical testing
- Occupational, physical, or speech-language therapy
- Injury or wound care
- Administration of prescription medications or shots
- Health monitoring
Home health care is best suited for:
- Seniors who require medication monitoring.
- Elderly individuals undergoing a decline in physical functionality who could regain a useful level of independence through occupational, physical, or speech-language therapy.
- Patients recently discharged from hospital care, rehabilitation, or a skilled nursing community.
- Seniors who are unable to safely travel to and from medical visits independently due to their delicate health.
How much does In-Home Care cost in Northern Virginia?
In the Northern Virginia area, non-medical home care averages about $20/hr; medical home care or private duty nursing typically starts around $25/hr, and rates for home health care are generally about $30/hr. Non-medical home care is usually private pay, while medical home care/private duty nursing and home health care are typically covered by Medicare or private insurance.
Are there any In-Home Care resources in Northern Virginia?
Resource |
Contact |
Services |
Virginia
Department of Health Professionals |
804-367-4400 |
The Virginia
Department of Health Professionals (VDHP) licenses
personal physicians, nurses, physical therapists, and other
healthcare practitioners. The VDHP also enforces practice
standards for healthcare and provides information to healthcare
professionals and the public. |
Virginia
Office of Licensure and Certification |
804-367-2102 |
The Virginia Office of Licensure and Certification (VOLC) administers state licensing programs for hospitals, outpatient surgical hospitals, nursing homes, home care organizations, and hospice programs. The VOLC also conducts inspections to ensure compliance with state requirements, investigates consumer complaints, and evaluates compliance with state requirements. |
Division
of Acute Care Services |
804-367-2104
804-367-2132 |
The Division of Acute Care Services’ Home Care and Hospice Unit administers state licensure in Virginia; oversees the inspection of home care organizations and hospice programs; organizes the federal certification surveys for Medicaid and Medicare; and investigates provider complaints.
|
Virginia
Board of Nursing |
804-367-4515 |
The Virginia
Board of Nursing provides a
user portal that serves as the primary verification source for healthcare credentials issued in Virginia, meeting the
requirements of the Joint Commission. |
National
Center for Health Statistics |
800-232-4636 |
The National
Center for Health Statistics
delivers comprehensive health data and tools related to, among
others, providers and patients of long-term care, including home
health care, nursing home care, and residential care communities. |
Virginia
Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services |
804-662-9333 |
The Virginia
Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services
provides various free services, including Adult
Services and Adult
Protective Services. The
professional counsellors are trained to provide advice for
various senior-related topics, such as long-term care insurance,
Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans, and prescription drug
counselling. |
Virginia’s
Office for Aging Services |
800-552-3402 |
Virginia’s
Office for Aging Services
(OAS) provides a wide range of senior programs and
resources, including free Senior
Legal Services, Senior
Health Insurance Counseling,
and many others. OAS also organizes various activities, services,
and initiatives to support seniors, individuals with
disabilities, and their families and care partners. |
Virginia
Association of Area Agencies on Aging |
804-545-1644 |
The Virginia
Association of Area Agencies on Aging
operates five local Agencies on Aging in the Northern Virginia area, including Alexandria,
Arlington,
Fairfax,
Loudoun,
and Prince
William. These agencies
provide a wide range of services for seniors, including meal
services, case management, and transportation. |
Virginia
Department of Veterans Services |
703-359-1210 |
The Virginia
Department of Veterans Services
(DVS) provides eligible Veterans and their spouses with access to
federal and state benefits that may help them afford certain
long-term care services. Along with providing referrals, the DVS
can assist Veterans in applying for Aid and Attendance benefits
or the VA pension. |
Virginia
211 |
211
800-230-6977 |
Virginia
211 is a free service that
helps seniors and caregivers connect with local resources, such
as non-medical transportation, nutritional programs, legal
services, and case management. Individuals can call the toll-free
number to speak with trained professionals who provide
recommendations for local services and organizations based on
their specific needs. |
Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman | 804-565-1600 | The Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman advocates for older persons receiving long-term care services. Whether the care is provided in an assisted living community, memory care location, nursing home, or community-based services to help seniors still living at home, the Office is a great resource. The Office also provides seniors, their families, and the public with information, advocacy, and assistance resources to help resolve care problems. |