QUESTION: What are some ways to reduce the amount of work and stress I have in my life as someone who both works outside the home and cares for an older or disabled relative or friend? The help provided by you, other family members, friends and neighbors may still not be enough to enable an older person to remain independent. In this case you will need to look for other avenues of support. One of the first places you should contact is to your Area Agency on Aging (AAA). If your family member has a limited income, he or she may be eligible for services provided through the AAA including homemaker home health aide services, transportation, home-delivered meals, chore and home repair as well as legal assistance. Area Agencies on Aging can direct you to other sources of help for older persons with limited incomes such as subsidized housing, food stamps, Supplemental Security Income, Medicaid or the Qualified Medicare Beneficiary program which covers the cost of the Part A and B insurance premiums for low-income elderly. QUESTION: What kind of paid help is available for home health care? Is there government support for this? If you decide to hire a home care worker, you will need to determine how much help your older relative needs. Will several hours a day be enough, does he or she need help all day until the family returns home, or does your relative live alone and need round the clock care? You also need to decide what type of home care worker your relative needs. Following are descriptions of the types of home care personnel available: A Housekeeper or Chore Worker is supervised by the person hiring them and performs basic household tasks and light cleaning. A Homemaker or Personal Care Worker is supervised by an agency or you and provides personal care, meal planning and household management and medication reminders. A Companion or Live-In is supervised by an agency or you and provides personal care, light housework, exercise, companionship, and medication reminders. A Home Health Aide, Certified Nurse Assistant, or Nurses Aide is supervised by an agency's registered nurse and provides personal care, help with transfers, walking, and exercise; household services that are essential to health care; assistance with medications, and reports changes in the patient's condition to the RN or Therapist; and completes appropriate records. Nonprofit and for profit home care agencies recruit, train, and pay the worker. You pay the agency. Social Service agencies, in addition to home care services, may provide an assessment of the client's needs by a nurse or social worker, and help with the adjustment or coordination of the care plan. Other avenues for finding aides who charge lower fees include churches, senior employment services, and agencies that assist displaced homemakers and others entering the employment market. Home Health Care Agencies focus on the medical aspects of care and provide trained health care personnel, such as nurses and physical therapists. Their services may be paid for by Medicare, if they are ordered by a physician. For More Information... Children of Aging Parents 1609 Woodbourne Road Suite 302A Levittown, PA 19057-1511 (215) 945-6900 (Voice) (215) 945-8720 (FAX)