Private duty care is necessary, if a senior requires more care than a family caregiver can provide. Private duty care can be quite affordable.

A source of professional quality home care is a strategy to assist the elderly in living safely and independently, says Florida Today’s recent article entitled “One Senior Place: Private duty care may be answer for some families.”

A great first question to ask a senior, is where they see themselves aging. If the answer is “at home as long as possible,” then private duty care may be worth considering. This type of care can include:

  • Meal planning and prep
  • Companionship, conversation and socialization
  • Grocery shopping and running errands, like picking up prescriptions at the drugstore
  • Alzheimer’s and dementia care
  • Calendar management
  • Light housekeeping, laundry and changing linens;
  • Medication reminders
  • Going with the senior to appointments, such as the doctor, church and salon; and
  • Assistance with bathing, dressing, feeding and walking.

Private duty care can be provided in a number of home settings, including private homes, independent living communities, assisted living facilities, as well as long-term care facilities. The cost is typically not covered by medical insurance, but long-term care insurance policies often will cover the cost of private duty care.

Here are a few of the benefits of private duty care:

  • Private duty care can help with these daily living activities.
  • Seniors who get help with meal planning and preparation are more likely to maintain good nutrition, which means a better chance of remaining active and independent longer.
  • It’s hard for seniors to get out and socialize as they’d like. A caregiver provides the opportunity for continued socialization, by providing transportation to events or just visiting.
  • Private duty can give a family caregiver some down time.

Seniors, if you plan to stay at home, consider making private duty care part of your plan.

Reference: Florida Today (March 16, 2021) “One Senior Place: Private duty care may be answer for some families”