Long-Term vs Short-Term Home Health Care

At Empire Home Health Care in Philadelphia, our comprehensive caregiver services cover almost any home health care needs you need. Whether you are looking for long-term home health care, short-term home health care, or companion care, we can help!

Some people aren’t very familiar with what type of home health care they may need — especially if it is their first experience with home health care. In today’s blog, we talk about long-term and short-term home health care, the difference between the two, and situations where you may need these types of care. Keep reading to learn more and be sure to contact our team at Empire Home Health Care in Philadelphia for all of your elderly care needs!

What is Home Health Care?

Home health care can sometimes be hard to define because it can consist of so many different things. In essence, home health care is when someone, either a trained home health aide or a friend, helps you with day-to-day tasks when they have become more challenging for you. For example, as we age, many things become much more difficult than they used to be. A simple task like mowing the lawn or preparing a healthy meal for yourself may become a herculean effort as you advance in years. Home health care helps you with tasks that have become more difficult for you so that you expend your effort doing things that you want to do rather than using all your energy on what needs to be done. This gives you the freedom to continue to live on your own much longer and avoid living in a nursing home or elderly facility. Not that there is anything inherently wrong with living in these facilities, but it is empowering to have the ability to choose how and where you’d like to live your life.

Long-Term Home Health Care

Long-term home health care is useful for those who struggle with everyday tasks and will likely continue to struggle with them for the foreseeable future. Long-term home health care often consists of helping keep track of various medications, assisting with the preparation of meals, providing company and entertainment, and helping with anything else that you may need. People who utilize long-term home health care are often seniors who want to maintain their independence but could use a little help. People who have experienced a life-altering injury may also choose to utilize long-term home health care to maintain independence while also getting the help they need to stay safe.

Short-Term Home Health Care

On the other hand, as you may have guessed, short-term home health care is for a shorter period of time. Short-term home health care can range from a few days to a few months or longer depending on your needs. More often than not, short-term home health care needs can be met by those without medical certifications, though caregivers with medical training also exist for those who need it. Short-term home health care services are typically needed by those recovering from an injury. For example, if you have just had surgery and no longer need to be in the hospital but are still required to take things easy, short-term home health care can help take care of the things you can’t. Home health aides can help you with dressing, grooming, cooking, shopping, mobility, companionship, and so much more.

Caregiving at Empire Home Health Care in Philadelphia

At Empire Home Health Care in Philadelphia, our home health aides are highly qualified and provide the best caregiving services you’ll find anywhere. We provide long-term home health care, short-term home health care, companion care, and everything in between! Our team understands that home health care isn’t a defined set of actions, but rather an all-encompassing service that looks different for everyone. We treat all of our clients as individuals and provide custom-tailored home health services to meet and exceed your needs. If you have just been released from the hospital and need a little help for a week or so, or you aren’t quite as young and spry as you used to be and could use an extra hand, contact us at Empire Home Health Care in Philadelphia. We can help you maintain your independence safely and make life a little easier for you.