In-Home Help

A number of public and private agencies provide in-home services that help seniors to remain at home independently. Some services are offered free of charge by volunteers, some are based on a sliding fee scale, and some require full payment of hourly fees. The long-term care waiver programs may help pay for these services for eligible seniors.

Chore and Home Repair Service
Chore and home maintenance services provide assistance with household chores and minor home repairs. This includes outdoor chores such as lawn mowing, leaf raking and snow shoveling. It may also include indoor heavy cleaning (washing walls, cleaning basements, etc.), minor home maintenance, as well as routine indoor housekeeping. Download MAAA's Help With Your Home brochure.

Companionship
Some agencies offer programs where volunteers provide non-medical support to people in their homes and in the community. Services such as friendly visitor programs may involve social visits where meals can be prepared and conversation shared. Companionship can also involve help for a person who wishes to leave their home to run an errand an enjoy or event in the community.

Homemaking/Housekeeping
Many home health and social service agencies can assist with everyday cleaning, laundry, preparing meals, shopping or running errands.

Home Health Care
Home Health Aides and Personal Care Attendants are supervised by a Registered Nurse and assist with bathing, dressing, using the bathroom and other personal cares. Home nursing care can include medication monitoring, wound care and health education. Therapeutic care can include physical, speech, and occupational therapy.

Hospice
Hospice services provide care for the dying and their families. Hospice usually involves a team of professionals including a person’s own doctor, nurses, social workers, home health aides, spiritual caregivers, volunteers and grief counselors. They work with a dying person and their family to develop a plan of care that offers support and comfort to all involved. Medicare helps pay for many hospice services.

Personal Emergency Response Systems
Personal Emergency Response Systems are services that give seniors simple equipment designed to call for help in a medical or other emergency using a signaling device that is worn around the neck or wrist.

Telephone Reassurance
Some hospitals, faith communities and non-profit agencies offer a service in which volunteers call seniors at home as often as daily to check on their well-being. Seniors can also call at a specified time of day to let a volunteer know that they are okay.

Updated 07/13/2007