British American Household Staffing
As grandparents, parents, and other loved ones begin to experience health difficulties or age-related changes, family members often feel overwhelmed by the many decisions involved in finding the best care. The BAHS team can help make this process a little easier by offering support, guidance, and by matching families with vetted, experienced caretakers who will treat your loved ones with compassion and kindness. These caretakers are equipped to deal with medical challenges of all kinds, from temporary injury due to fall to serious illnesses, including advanced cancer and diabetes. If searching for a caregiver for a family member, the first step is talking to your loved one and to their health team, if applicable, to make sure you have a full picture how much support they will need. Eldercare can be as simple as a companion stopping in 3 times per week to stock the fridge, drive the principal to appointments, and play board games, or as complex as 24-hour care, including management of oxygen concentrators, medications, and serious illness. If searching for a caregiver for yourself, we’d suggest starting by making a list of the tasks you need help with, including physical, mental, and social needs. Contact us now to learn more about the process of hiring a caretaker. Broadly speaking, eldercare is made of two main categories: medical eldercare and companion care. Those with health needs that require some level of in-home care typically require medical eldercare rather than a companion. The three main types are Home Health Aids (HHA), Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA), and Registered Nurses (RN). Within these, you might find caregivers with specialities, including Alzheimer’s specialists, hospice care nurses, and more. For these caregivers, safety and health are the top priorities, but, like companions, they also offer social benefits to the patient, as well. In order of increasing level of need, the categories are companion (non-medical, also known as Personal Care Aids/PCA), Home Health Aid (HHA), Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), and Registered Nurse (RN). As an elderly care agency, BAHS offers both and works with highly vetted candidates to offer not only the most experienced candidates, but also candidates who are passionate about their job, are kind and compassionate, and will support your family through the ups and downs of aging and medical challenges.
HHA is the next step after companion care; HHAs are a good choice for those who do require medical care but are not seriously ill. This might be a patient with a broken leg who cannot move around safely or one in early-stage dementia, who needs guidance and support. An HHA is similar to a companion in that they will offer social interaction and can typically help with tasks around the house, such as grocery shopping and laundry. Many will cook simple healthy meals and accommodate specialized diets, such as low sodium. They will track medication usage but cannot administer medications directly. They can monitor vital signs and tend to minor wounds, as well as assist with prosthetic limbs. They will have the skills to safely help with bathing, feeding, and repositioning in bed. HHAs are certified by the state; state regulations vary but typically HHAs need a high school diploma or a GED and then complete around 75 hours of training and finally take an exam to receive their certification.
If the patient requires more hands-on medical assistance, a CNA might be a good choice. In addition to everything a HHA can do, CNAs can also set up medication drips, manage oxygen concentrators, and care for existing catheters. They will monitor vital signs and medical machinery. CNAs will also help around the home – they will usually handle meal preparation, light housekeeping, laundry for the patient, and manage appointments. CNAs require more intense training than HHAs, and they are licensed, rather than certified. Although the regulations vary by state, CNA preparation typically requires about 120 hours of training, including supervised clinical training followed by oral, written, and skill-based exams. Registered Nurses are the right choice for those who need more intense at-home medical care. This is right for patients with feeding tubes, late-stage cancer, medications delivered through port-a-caths, and more. These caregivers can handle issues including care for dementia, advanced cancer, heart issues, kidney issues, mobility etc. RNs can administer medication, place catheters, handle complex wound care, and start and manage intravenous (IV) lines. Note that most RNs will help only minimally around the house (unlike a HHA or CNA who can assist more) as the primary focus of an RN is the health and safety of the patient; they will typically help keep the immediate area clean and tidy, but will not cook or do laundry. RNs must have a college degree, such as an associate’s degree or a bachelor’s degree in nursing (BSN). They must also pass the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) and apply for a license in their state. They require the most extensive training and education of all in-home eldercare and thus command the highest salaries.
BAHS offers both temporary and permanent placements, as well as candidates who are seeking a variety of schedules and living arrangements. We place candidates in both live-out and live-in roles, part-time and full-time. We can arrange 24/7 care when needed. For many, overnight care is critical as it can be an especially dangerous time in terms of fall risk, as well as a difficult time for many patients with certain illnesses, such as dementia. We can assist you in finding the best overnight care to ensure your loved one is safe. We always recommend using an agency to find eldercare and for all medical roles. You do not need to use an agency that specializes only in these services; BAHS has a wide roster of companions and medical caregivers, both in the US and abroad, and can help you find the right match for yourself or a loved one. Learn more about our standards here. An agency can relieve a lot of the uncertainty – background checks, references etc. – and allows you to focus on finding the person that is the best match. For elderly care, honesty, discretion, and experience are absolutely vital, as well as personality match between the caregiver and the client. There are state-by-state variations in licensing/certification requirements for these roles; please reach out to our team for details on your state. Expected compensation will increase as the level of training and education requirements increase. HHAs and CNAs typically expect $45-$65+/hour, depending on location and scope of the role. Experienced RNs can command much higher compensation, often $100+/hour. The BAHS team can advise on specific rates for your area and level of care. If you’re personally caring for a loved one, you might seek temporary respite care. This can take many different forms – it might be a part-time companion 3 times per week to give you peace of mind while taking time to yourself, or it might be a full-time nurse for 5 weeks to allow you to take a trip you’ve been putting off. Caring for an aging or ill family member can take a toll mentally and physically – it is essential that you look after yourself and ask for help when needed. BAHS can assist with these part-time and temporary positions. Companion care can vary greatly from person to person and is carefully tailored to each individual’s specific needs and goals. At its core, companion care is physical and emotional support for an adult, whether that person is elderly, ill, disabled, or has other unique special needs. Companion care can have a myriad of benefits. Firstly, there is the physical day-to-day support a companion can offer – this can include checking the mail, running errands, assisting with exercise routines, making sure things stay organized in the home, accompanying the elderly to their doctor appointments and relaying important information that the doctor has shared. Taking these small tasks off your elderly loved one’s to-do list can greatly ease anxiety and stress, while making sure the household runs smoothly. Beyond the physical support, a companion can offer invaluable social interaction and care. Companions can help their clients with hobbies, accompany them to museums, and other social gatherings, as well as just have compassionate and thoughtful conversations. Loneliness is a huge problem for the elderly and those with limited mobility who live alone; companion care can help to ease this problem and drastically improve quality of life. Companions are also sometimes known as Personal Care Aids (PCA).
SERVICES
Elderly Home Care Services
Caring for Aging Loved Ones: How to Start Your Eldercare Search
Medical Care vs. Companion Care
What Kind of Conditions can In-Home Elderly Carers Assist With?
Home Health Aid (HHA)
Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA)
Registered Nurse (RN)
Companion Home Care FAQ
What types of in home elder care coverage are available?
Why should I work with an agency for eldercare searches?
How much does medical elderly care services cost?
What is respite care?
What is non-medical companion care?
