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The Different Types of In-Home Caregivers

So you’re a caregiver. That’s all well and good—we think it’s great—but you also have a far more specific job title. The type of caregiving you provide will reflect your professional duties, day-to-day tasks, and overall skillset. This post will detail everything you need to know about the different types of in-home caregivers.

Are you a personal care attendant (PCA)?

Not necessarily. Maybe you’re a certified nursing assistant (CNA).

Or, perhaps you’re a home health aide (HHA).

These are the different types of licensed in-home caregivers. Continue reading this post to understand the nuances of each one.

What Does Being a PCA Entail?

PCAs are also called personal companions in some cases. In addition to supervising and spending time with the patient, they oversee household chores like cooking, cleaning, and shopping. They may also help with transportation, although the scope of the job will likely vary based on the client. While specific requirements for being a PCA depend on the state, these caregivers undergo training and are generally certified.

It’s also worth noting that some states offer programs for patients’ friends or relatives to become PCAs. While there’s no denying it’s an important role, the barrier to entry is relatively low.

What Does Being a CNA Entail?

CNAs have more medical training than their PCA counterparts. They are required to pass an exam to be certified and often work alongside registered nurses (RNs), many of whom got their start as CNAs. In turn, if you’re a PCA interested in becoming a CNA, note that there are nursing assistant training programs available at many community colleges, medical centers, and trade schools across the country. The National Network of Career Nursing Assistants has stated the profession is growing, and that over 4.5 million CNAs provide care in the United States each day.

In-home CNAs are equipped to check the patient’s vital signs, administer wound care, and also help the client with tasks like bathing or eating (which are often referred to as “activities of daily living,” or ADLs).

What Does Being an HHA Entail?

HHAs, depending on the state and certification program, may be equipped to offer very basic medical care. In most cases, they are hired to help with the patient’s ADLs, not unlike CNAs.

That said, where a CNA might provide thorough medical assistance, an HHA will offer basic health services such as changing the patient’s bed or overseeing their nutrition. Training to become an HHA—albeit thorough—isn’t as extensive as the training required to become a CNA.

Ultimately, just as clients will decide between using a PCA, CNA, or HHA based on their medical and care-related needs, in-home caregivers can further their training to reflect their interests and skills. We hope this post has given you deeper insights into the different types of caregivers!

In the meantime, on behalf or Nurse2Help, we hope you’re having a great holiday season. Happy New Year!

Stay tuned for more tips, tricks, and resources from Nurse2Help. Our app lists hundreds of prescreened caregivers in the D.C., Maryland, and Virginia area. Please contact us for more information.

Open Enrollment Deadline for 2019 Health Insurance

Home care agencies, remind your clients that December 15 is the last day they can—in most states—enroll, reenroll, or adjust their Marketplace health insurance. Plans purchased during Open Enrollment start in January 2019.

The holiday season is busy, and the Open Enrollment deadline for health insurance or Affordable Care Act (ACA) exchange plans is quickly approaching. Four days remain in the Open Enrollment period for most states, with the exception of the following:

California (Open Enrollment ends January 15, 2019)
Colorado (Open Enrollment ends January 15, 2019)
Massachusetts (Open Enrollment ends January 23, 2019)
Minnesota (Open Enrollment ends January 13, 2019)
New York (Open Enrollment ends January 31, 2019)
Rhode Island (Open Enrollment ends January 31, 2019)
Washington, D.C. (Open Enrollment ends January 31, 2019)

That said, now is as good a time as any to remind your clients to enroll or update their plan. Keep in mind that this information is for U.S. residents buying health insurance independently in the Marketplace rather than through their employer.

A simple email reminder can be very effective (and informative, for that matter). Consider letting your client base know that if they’re purchasing health insurance on their own, they can buy a policy in one of several ways:

From their state’s health insurance marketplace (More information can be found here.)
Directly from a health insurance company or agent
From health insurance sites that offer quotes from multiple carriers

To be eligible to enroll in Marketplace coverage, you must be a U.S. citizen or resident and currently live in the United States. All plans available in the Marketplace cover preventative health services, preexisting conditions, and essential health benefits such as hospital care and prescription drug coverage.

Those who are already enrolled in a Marketplace health plan can expect their coverage to automatically renew in 2019. That said, some plans might change their provider network copays and drug coverage at the end of the year, and—while they are required to inform consumers of any changes they make—it is your responsibility to read each notice carefully and understand what it means for your coverage.

Please note that Medicare features a different enrollment period than Marketplace health insurance, and that this post does not apply to those seeking Medicare health and drug plans. Depending on income, however, individuals may well qualify for an insurance plan with tax credits through the Health Insurance Marketplace—or for the Medicaid/Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

People can apply for Medicaid or CHIP through their state’s Medicaid agency at any time of year, or through the Marketplace during their state’s Open Enrollment period. (A short plug here to reiterate that Nurse2Help is now accepting the Medicaid Waiver.)

So, home care agencies—are you ready for the New Year? Again, be sure to remind your clients of the important dates and information outlined in this post!

Stay tuned for more tips, tricks, and resources from Nurse2Help. The Nurse2Help app lists hundreds of prescreened caregivers in the D.C., Maryland, and Virginia area. Please contact us for more information.

Organizational Strategies for Caregivers

Home care providers are intimately familiar with tasks like keeping track of appointments, filling out paperwork, and managing patient medications. While most cite interacting with clients as the most fulfilling part of the job, logistical items are equally important. Yet, staying organized isn’t always easy.

Both certified nurses in the home care sector, Elisa and Andre sat down over coffee one day.

“Lately I’ve been feeling like I’m not as efficient as I could be,” confessed Elisa. “I have a busy schedule, yeah, but it’s been tough keeping track of all my patients’ needs and obligations. Sometimes the details are overwhelming.”

While she managed to get her patients where they needed to be safely and on time, and distribute medications accordingly, Elisa was distracted.

Fortunately, Andre had a few suggestions. He’d developed an organizational system that was so effective, logistical items had more or less become second nature. Here are some strategies he shared with Elisa:

Start a patient “journal.”

By documenting the client’s needs and symptoms on a regular basis, home care providers can closely monitor the care receiver’s medication requirements, habits, symptoms, and overall well-being. Confidentiality is key here, and whether the journal is digital or handwritten is irrelevant.

The benefits of this strategy are twofold: First, keeping a patient journal can help the caregiver gain a more solid grasp of the client’s needs and habits. In addition, maintaining a written record will make it easier to share pertinent information with others. From letting a doctor in on essential details to updating a colleague or substitute caregiver, patient journals are highly underrated tools.

Use a calendar.

For Andre, using a calendar to manage his work obligations—including patient appointments and excursions—was a game-changer. Elisa relied on an actual planner to manage her commitments, but Andre recommended going digital.

The advantages of calendar apps, he explained, are that you can share the patient’s appointments and your own availability with other care providers and the client’s loved ones. You can also access it from anywhere, and use visuals to distinguish different entries. Andre uses red to mark his patients’ medical appointments, for instance, and blue to illustrate their personal engagements.

Embrace files and folders.

Bills, receipts, an inbox overflowing with unread emails—how could Elisa possibly find what she needed amid the clutter?

While Andre isn’t an advocate of throwing things away, he recognizes the importance of labeling and filing relevant documents. Regarding email, each client has their own folder so that he can quickly access important messages. And in terms of bills, receipts, and paperwork, he maintains separate binders—divided into subcategories, from “Medications” to “Important Phone Numbers”—for each patient for this same reason.

“Set up these systems, and the organization will follow,” Andre told Elisa.

We couldn’t agree more.

Home Care Agencies & Prepping for the Holidays

Is your agency ready for the holidays?

Like any home care staffing organization, you want to support the patients in your care.

You want to match them with caregivers and certified nurses whose values reflect their own, and who genuinely care about their health and wellness.

What better time than now to set an example in the way of giving back?

At Nurse2Help, we encourage you to go the extra mile as the year comes to a close. Thank the members of your team, and take stock of how your clients want to celebrate the holidays (if at all).

There’s a lot to focus on as we approach Thanksgiving, and work our way through the end of 2018. Here are three helpful tips to encourage a successful holiday season:

Launch a holiday marketing campaign.

Why not capture your prospects’ attention with a holiday-themed marketing campaign? If you own or manage a caregiving agency, you can choose from a number of options to promote your business.

To ensure a successful campaign, think about what might appeal to your clients and prospects. Consider writing a direct mail piece outlining essential cold-weather safety tips, hosting an open house where community members can meet your staff, or even offering a special discount to be used within a specific timeframe. If you’re feeling extra-ambitious, you can aim for all three options—or leverage an entirely different approach.

Throw an all-staff holiday party.

According to the National Retail Federation, consumers will spend an average of $1,007.24 during the 2018 holiday season.

What about your home care agency? Have you budgeted for a company-wide holiday party?

By investing in a year-end gathering, complete with employee awards and special gifts, you can help to build camaraderie within your team. From bowling to dinner to attending a comedy show, there are countless directions you can take as you plan your holiday event. Sitting down with your staff and expressing your appreciation will show your team just how much you care.

Dot your i’s and cross your t’s.

Though it may sound trite, home care agencies shouldn’t underestimate the power of planning ahead—especially during a time of year when many team members go on vacation and communication falls to the wayside. At Nurse2Help, we recognize that the holidays are extremely busy—but November and December are just as important a time as any to make sure you have all your ducks in a row, so to speak.

So, take a moment to review your staffing, and see to it that you’ve incorporated client scheduling changes and caregiver time-off requests into your agency calendar. Make sure your accounting is in order for 2019. In addition, think about spending an afternoon picking up small gifts for patients, or scrawling handwritten thank-you notes detailing how much you value your clients’ business.

And above all else, don’t be afraid to join your clients and staff in celebrating the holidays.

Palliative vs. Hospice Care

Palliative care is a person-centered approach designed to make the patient feel at ease. Also known as supportive care, it can still be combined with treatments, but not at the expense of the individual’s quality of life.

The National Consensus Project on Palliative Careexplains it best: “The goal of palliative care is to prevent and relieve suffering and to support the best possible quality of life for patients and their families, regardless of the stage of the disease or the need for other therapies.”

While palliative care features a number of similarities to end-of-life care, it is far less specific—in fact, hospice care is considered a type of palliative care.

How is palliative care different from hospice care?

Hospice care is a form of palliative care that caters specifically to patients nearing the end of their lives. The focus of hospice is on death with dignity rather than curing the ailment. This is a key difference from palliative care in general, which typically emphasizes ongoing treatment so long as the treatment doesn’t interfere with the patient’s comfort.

Palliative care can start at any time, from the initial stages of the disease to later stages. Hospice, meanwhile, is a voluntary program for which patients are eligible when physicians determine they have six months or fewer to live. (Note that patients can continue to receive hospice care if they live longer than the projected six months, and have the option to stop receiving hospice if their health unexpectedly improves.)

Both palliative and hospice care involve serious medical issues and include a team approach. Basically, hospice is seen as more of a last resort—as an option when no other treatments are available, or when the patient’s suffering is so intense that no treatment will lead to a cure.

Additional details that apply specifically to hospice care:

Hospice staff members are available 24 hours a day.
Families, caregivers, and medical professionals recognize that in hospice, painful treatments, prolonged stays in the intensive care unit, and ambulance rides are not always desired. In many cases, caregivers and loved ones may be asked to call the hospice provider instead of 911 in an emergency situation involving the patient.
Spirituality may be discussed in hospice care, depending on the patient and/or their family’s preferences.
Hospice may include grief therapy and ongoing support for families, including after the patient’s death.

What are the benefits of palliative care?

The benefits of palliative care are extensive. Physicians can become board-certified in palliative care, and those who specialize in providing these services emphasize compassion, communication, and curating the healthcare experience to enhance the patient’s quality of life.

Palliative care not only helps to put patients and caregivers at ease, but it can lead to quicker patient recovery and prolonged survival rates. Another bonus: Most insurance will cover a significant portion of the patient’s palliative care costs, as will Medicare and Medicaid. If the patient—or their loved ones, for that matter—has questions about palliative care, encourage them to talk to their physician.

Referral Strategies for Home Care Agencies

So you operate a home care agency, and you’re on the lookout for new clients. Whether you’re focusing on referrals or simply hoping to get the name of your organization out in the community, there are a number of things you can do to appeal to prospects. At the center of these items are word-of-mouth referrals.

According to the 2018 Home Care Benchmarking Study, the main reason clients chose a home care agency in 2017 was due to a recommendation from friends or family.

Word of mouth is a crucial marketing resource. It’s important, in this regard, to keep your business efficient and your branding solid. Agencies should vet their caregivers and conduct thorough background checks, just like we do before listing our caregivers in the Nurse2Help app.

Of equal importance is sound communication, and best practices designed to keep your agency competitive.

What does all this mean? In simple terms, home care agencies must build a positive reputation and transform clients and community members into vocal promoters of the services they provide. Here are some tips to attract new clients and ultimately enhance your word-of-mouth referral network:

Ask for feedback and work toward improvement.

Ask your clients and their loved ones for feedback so that you can continually improve your services. Distribute surveys on a regular basis. Say, for instance, a client mentions their caregiver is reliable and personable, but spends too much time on their phone. This is something you can address.

By working toward improvement, you can boost your agency’s reputation. And good client experiences translate to good marketing, as happy clients will likely share their thoughts with acquaintances and loved ones.

Ultimately, word of mouth is an invaluable, timesaving resource. It will save your marketing team precious time, as clients will be taking over some of the marketing for you, and it’s a cost-effective solution for appealing to new customers.

Partner with organizations that complement your agency.

When you think of referrals, you probably think of your customers and their families. What should also come to mind are the many other organizations in your community that provide complementary services to your agency.

For instance, you can increase your referral network by visiting nursing or rehab facilities, and discussing what your support staff have to offer in addition to what these organizations provide themselves. Don’t hesitate to partner with local healthcare facilities and insurance agencies, as well as social workers—you might agree to refer clients to one another.

In addition, you can cultivate relationships with competing home care agencies. Say one agency is unable to accommodate a client’s request—perhaps it specializes in the elderly rather than youth—the other can take on the client and return the favor later down the road.

Another viable option for home care agencies is to get out and speak in front of prospects. Think about visiting health fairs, schools, and other programs, and touching on relevant topics ranging from nutrition and exercise, to memory and mental health. Put these subjects—and the services your agency offers—in the minds of your prospects.

5 Ways for Caregivers & Patients to Enjoy Nature

As a home care provider, you work hard to keep the patient healthy and safe. Oftentimes, this means limiting the time you spend outside aside from medical appointments or the occasional outing. But that doesn’t have to be the case—it shouldn’t be the case, in fact, as spending time outdoors has myriad benefits on human health.

Sunlight offers the vitamin D boost we all need, helping to enhance brain function as well as bone and muscle health. Immersing oneself in nature has also been shown to improve emotional stability.

No matter the patient’s age, diagnosis, or level of independence, it’s important that caregivers encourage their clients to keep active and go outside. Admittedly, though, if a doctor recommends bed rest—or if there’s any pertinent reason to avoid going outside, like poor air quality—then you ought to follow their recommendation.

That said, if there’s no reason to steer clear of the outdoors, then it’s time to slip on your shoes, help the patient get ready, and explore. Here are five ways caregivers and patients can recharge in nature:

1. Go on a walk.

A walk through the neighborhood—or perhaps on a local trail, depending on the patient’s fitness and mobility—makes for great exercise. It’s also an opportunity to socialize, reflect on recent experiences, and explore the area. The scenery doesn’t hurt either.

2. Practice yoga or meditate.

While this activity doesn’t require an outdoor setting, it can certainly be made more enjoyable on the grass or in a park. Just like going on a walk, caregivers will have to modify the yoga or meditation session based on the patient’s ability and overall comfort. At the very least, you can sit outside together and enjoy the fresh air.

3. Plant a garden.

With the patient and their family’s express permission, you can plant herbs, flowers, and vegetables in a container garden directly on the property. If they live in an apartment, or if their yard has limited space, you can look into purchasing a small plot in a community garden—a social option for those who don’t mind sharing the space.

4. Prepare a picnic.

Picnics are an open-air adventure for all personalities. Consider prepping the patient’s favorite foods, spreading a cozy blanket on the lawn or in a public park, and then sitting back and indulging in a delicious meal. Be sure to bring hats, sunscreen, and plenty of water.

5. Take arts & crafts outside.

Does the patient like to paint, draw, knit, or take photographs? These activities can all be performed in the outdoors, weather permitting. So, if this sounds like something that would appeal to the person in your care, go right out on the patio, set up a table in the yard, or get comfortable at your neighborhood park.

According to Richard Ryan, a psychology professor at the University of Rochester in Minnesota, “One of the pathways to health may be to spend more time in natural settings.”

What better reason than this to go outside each day? At this time of year in particular, both home care patients and their providers would do well to spend more time in nature.

Diversity Is Crucial to Your Home Care Agency

When companies make hiring decisions, they look for qualified, hardworking people. Of equal importance is hiring team members who will add to the diversity of the organization.

Diversity is essential to your home care agency.

Of course, some might think “diversity” is a bit of a buzzword. But in a health care setting—in most settings, for that matter—this couldn’t be further from the truth.

It’s a broad term that encompasses a range of factors from age and gender and sexual orientation, to race and socioeconomic status. Even different personalities can add diversity to a group of people—and the appeal is expansive.

According to data from McKinsey & Company, U.S. businesses in the top quartile for gender diversity are 15% more likely to experience financial returns above the national median. Similarly, there is a linear relationship between racial and ethnic diversity and financial success.

The benefits of ensuring diversity at your home care agency include:

Guaranteeing a caregiver or private nurse for every client.

Professionals should be compatible with the patients they serve. By hiring a diverse team of private nurses and caregivers, you can have team members on hand for clients from all walks of life.

Some patients appreciate talkative caregivers, while others prefer to spend their time around more introverted people. Or, perhaps one patient grew up abroad, and would like to hire someone with a similar cultural background. By keeping your agency as diverse as possible, you can offer someone for every client.

To this end, diversity also keeps organizations versatile. It’s essential that you—as the owner of a home care agency—hire team members who can contribute to the company in their own unique ways. For instance, say you’ve hired a professional with a background in equine therapy—if a new client is interested in working with horses, the pairing could be a sound match.

Diversity promotes inclusivity & reflects our evolving population.

Research conducted by Cloverpop in 2017 indicates that the inclusive teams the company studied made better businesses decisions as much as 87% of the time. Not only that, but these teams made decisions faster with only 50% of the meetings less inclusive teams facilitated—and the decisions they executed were 60% more successful.

In addition, a diverse workforce can help accommodate our evolving population. According to the Administration for Community Living, the older population is becoming more racially and ethnically diverse—and teams ought to reflect this for optimal results. In 2003, racial and ethnic minority populations in the United States totaled 6.3 million; in 2030, the figure will likely increase to 21.1 million—that is, 28.5% of older adults.

The United States is becoming much more diverse—racially and ethnically, yes, but it doesn’t have to end there. Diversity is composed of many factors, so why not embrace it at your home care agency?

Medicaid vs. Medicare: The Differences, Explained

Nurse2Help is now accepting the Medicaid Waiver. Regardless of whether you’re familiar with the program, chances are you’ve heard of Medicaid—and Medicare, for that matter. Both are government-sponsored programs that help consumers cover the cost of health care, but they are far from the same thing. And yet, people often confuse the two.

Medicaid covers health care costs for consumers in need of financial assistance. Meanwhile, Medicare is designed to help the elderly fulfill their long-term care needs. Both taxpayer-funded programs were established in 1965 and are still extremely relevant today. That said, there are major differences worth noting.

How Does Medicaid Work?

As described above, Medicaid is an assistance program designed to accommodate low-income consumers of all age. Typically, patients do not pay for the cost of expenses, although a small co-payment may be required. The program specifics vary from state to state, but operate under a series of federal guidelines. To this end, the federal government funds up to 50% of each state’s Medicaid program based on financial need.

How Does Medicare Work?

Unlike Medicaid, Medicare is an insurance program, and typically serves consumers over the age of 65. (The program also accommodates younger disabled individuals and dialysis patients.)

Here’s how it works: The patient’s medical bills are paid from trust funds that those covered under Medicare have paid into—and consumers continue to pay the deductible for hospital visits and related costs. Under Medicare, they also pay a monthly premium for non-hospital coverage.

The federal program is consistent throughout the United States.

Who Is Eligible for Medicaid?

Consumers are eligible for Medicaid based on their income and family size. Nurse2Help is proud to accept the Waiver, and can help oversee patients’ private nursing and caregiving needs based on their unique situation.

But let’s dive deeper into eligibility. Medicaid offers health coverage for individuals, families, children, pregnant women, the elderly, and those with disabilities. To determine whether they are eligible, consumers should review this chart to see what they qualify for. They can also visit their state’s Medicaid website for more information.

If it looks like they might be eligible, consumers can create an account and complete a Health Insurance Marketplace application. This will reveal which programs the applicant(s) is eligible for, and how they should proceed.

Who Is Eligible for Medicare?

Consumers are eligible for Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance) if they are 65 or older, and both worked and paid Medicare taxes for 10 years. Moreover, they are eligible for premium-free Part A if they meet the following criteria:

They receive Social Security or Railroad Retirement Board retirement benefits.
They are entitled to Social Security or Railroad Retirement Board retirement benefits but have not yet filed for them.
They or their spouse previously held a Medicare-covered government job.

Some individuals over 65 may be eligible to purchase Medicare coverage. Conversely, those under the age of 65 can access premium-free Part A if they have been eligible for Social Security or Railroad Retirement Board disability benefits for two years, or if they are a kidney dialysis or transplant patient.

And while most consumers do not have to pay premium for Part A, Part B (Medical Insurance) comes at a cost—a small monthly premium. To determine their Medicare eligibility or calculate their premium, consumers can use this tool.

Ultimately, the differences between Medicare and Medicaid are extensive. Both programs, however, are similar in that they are designed to serve people in the U.S. from a health care standpoint. And Nurse2Help is thrilled to accept the Medicaid Waiver, and ensure eligible parties receive long-term care in their community.