"Home care" is a wide range of services that support elderly people who are chronically ill or recovering from an illness or surgery. Home care services are performed in the person's home, no matter where they live. It is sometimes called "non-medical home care."

"Home health" services are medical in nature and prescribed by a doctor as medically necessary to recover from a short-term illness or hospitalization. Services are provided by nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and other licensed providers of medical care. Home health services are paid for by Medicare if you are over age 65 and Medicaid if you are indigent.

"Home care" services are provided by licensed home care agencies, home care registries (which are NOT licensed in Colorado), and non-licensed independent caregivers. The advantage of using a licensed home care agency is that they are the most highly regulated by the State of Colorado. Abby Senior Care, as a licensed home care agency, conducts background checks, DMV checks, reference checks, skills testing, psychological testing, orientation and continuing education for caregivers and CNAs we hire.

Compassionate caregivers go above and beyond to maintain safety and dignity for those needing support to live at home. Home care following release from the hospital is extremely helpful and has been shown to significantly decrease the probability that someone will be re-hospitalized within 90 days.

Questions to ask before hiring a home care agency are:

• Do they have a home care license from the Department of Health and Environment?
• Are the fees competitive? (low fees can mean low quality service)
• What is the cancellation policy?
• Are they the legal employer of the caregiver or are you? (Don't become an "accidental employer" in the eyes of the IRS by hiring someone from a non-licensed registry or individual.)
• Is there a phone number to call 24/7 where you can speak to a home care supervisor?
• What is the agency policy if you are not satisfied with your caregiver?
• What forms of payment are accepted and how often are you billed?