Understanding Home Care: Personal Care Aides

The home health care industry is projected to grow at an astonishing rate by 2026. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics envisions 54% growth, as compared to the average employment growth in other Industries of 7%. This phenomenal rate is likely because many more people are aging, recuperating or going through rehabilitation at home after an injury or illness.

 

In many instances, all that’s required for someone to stay home and be independent is a personal care aide who may assist with a physical limitation or ensure the safety of someone with a mental impairment. Personal care aides may assist the elderly and provide companionship throughout the day, giving their loved ones peace of mind. Assisting with everyday tasks and self-care at home often enables your loved one to stay home and avoid a residential care facility. Usually, formal education is not required to become a personal care aide, and many agencies, such as Anodyne, will provide on-the-job training by registered nurses.

 

Personal care aides are available to help their clients take walks, engage them mentally by playing games and speaking with them. This helps reduce the risk of depression and potentially slows the progression of dementia. Personal care aides also help with activities of daily living tasks, such as brushing teeth, bathing, grooming or going to the bathroom. If your loved one is in a wheelchair, the personal care aide will help them get in and out of their wheelchair; your loved one will also have assistance getting in and out of bed and planning and preparing meals.

 

Many personal care aides are also available to help do the dishes and other light housekeeping work, such as changing bed linens or vacuuming. Your personal care aide will clean up after light spills but will not be responsible for most housekeeping duties, including mopping or cleaning the bathrooms. In some cases, your loved one may need to get to a doctor’s appointment. When arranged, a personal care aide may help to arrange the appointment and transport their client back and forth.

 

Companionship is a large part of what a personal care aide does for your loved one. While they are competent to alert proper professionals when problems arise, they do not provide any medical assistance. Sometimes personal care aides are known as caregivers, personal attendants or companions. At Anodyne, we also help our clients find personal care aides to help their loved ones who may be in hospice or in various stages of rehabilitation or recovery.

 

It is important to note a home health aide and a personal care aide are two different positions. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics defines home health aides as those who can be trained to perform tasks such as changing dressings or dispensing prescribed medication. In contrast, personal care aides are generally supervised by licensed medical personnel and do not perform medical duties.

 

Is Your Family in Need of a Personal Care Aide?

Anodyne is a trusted provider of personal care aides. Each of our home care professionals is trained to the highest level giving you peace of mind the person caring for your loved one is trained and supervised by a nurse. Contact Anodyne today and we’ll get started finding you the right personal care aide for your family.