Home care agencies in Easton, MD are companies that organize in home care for the elderly or others who need a bit of help around the house. For the most part, a home care agency is responsible for hiring skilled care givers or nurses and then making sure that each client is matched up with the care that they need. However, not all home care agencies in Easton, MD are the same. Depending on what you need, you may want to consider each home care agency carefully before making your final decision.
Nurses and Care Givers: What’s the Difference?
Not all care givers are nurses. A nurse has studied for a number of years, usually earning a degree in nursing and completing many, many hours of training with patients and other, more skilled and experienced nurses. Care givers describes anyone who works with individuals who need in home care. There are no legal requirements of what kind of training a care giver must have in order to work with the elderly. If someone wants to hire a care giver, they can hire just about anybody who is willing to do the work.
Depending on the home care agency, you could end up with a care giver who has no training, some practical experience, some training, or a degree in nursing. It may or may not matter whether your hire a nurse or an untrained care giver. Some people hire care givers to simply be present in the home just in case of an emergency. Other patients need someone to cook meals and keep the house tidy. But if you need medical care, you’re probably better off with a trained nurse rather than someone who has little or no training. Check with the home care agency you’re considering to see if the right kind of care can be provided.
Flexibility of a Home Care Agency
The flexibility that a home care agency provides can be a pretty significant indicator of how well you will work together. If you are hiring a care giver for an elderly parent who doesn’t need 24 hour care, you probably want to decide how many hours per day and days per week the care giver will come to your parent’s house. Not all home care agencies in Easton, MD offer flexibility, and will tell you what kind of schedule they can provide. You’ll be better off working with a home care agency that let’s you decide when care will be provided.