If you’re looking for home healthcare services for yourself or a loved one, you might be feeling overwhelmed and under-equipped to take care of everything. But you don’t have to take care of everything! Home healthcare providers can manage all your care needs, from meal prep to wound care to emotional support. They make a world of difference—not just with practical tasks, but also with everyone’s stress levels.

Here’s how you can pick the best provider for your family to lighten the load, protect your health, and improve everyone’s quality of life.

Different health issues come with different needs—for example, a chronic disease may need different levels of care than recovering for surgery. Do you need full-time care during the day, during the night, or both? Or a few hours a day, or a few days a week? Your schedule also plays a role here. Try to balance caregiving, your other responsibilities, and time for self-care. 

Consider how long you’ll need care, too. Is it a short-term or a long-term health concern?

There are two types of home care providers that can meet your needs, depending on your situation: Nurses, who are medical professionals, and Personal Support Workers, who provide non-medical care. They play different roles in your care or recovery, but they both give individualized support tailored to their professions. 

Nurses are qualified health professionals that can take good care of you by handling a wide variety of medical tasks. If your care involves any medical procedures—such as intravenous (IV) administration, wound care, or ventilatory care—then you’ll need a good nurse. Nurses can assess your pain and symptoms and help you manage them. Whether you have a chronic disease or you were just seriously injured in an accident, a nurse can help keep you stable and safe.

Registered Nurses (RNs) are experienced nurses who have earned their nursing licenses and have extensive training. They can handle most medical needs, as well as educating their patients about managing their conditions. If you don’t have a personalized care plan yet, your nurse can even help you create one. It’s nice to know you have a plan to rely on—and someone by your side to keep it in action.

Certified Nurses (CNs) are Registered Nurses who also have an additional certification in a specific area of care, such as wound care, palliative care, or diabetes management. 

Practical Nurses (PNs), Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs), and Registered Practical Nurses (RPNs) are entry-level nurses who handle basic care and comfort for their patients. (The title varies based on your location, but they are the same role.) Working under the direction of an RN or a physician, PNs, LPNs, and RPNs can take vital signs, change wound dressings, administer medications, and place catheters. Some also help with eating, hygiene, and dressing.

When you’re sick or injured, it’s difficult to care for yourself. That’s why Personal Support Workers are ready to help you or your loved one with personal care and household chores. Personal Support Workers help you live as independently and comfortably as possible.

PSWs help you or your loved one with personal tasks like eating, dressing, hair care, grooming, and oral care, as well as continence care, medication reminders, and more. They can also help with practical tasks, like laundry, meal prep, shopping, and transportation. They provide essential support, right at the time when you need it the most.

Most private healthcare services are not covered by public insurance, so the expenses need to be paid out of pocket. Some expenses related to home health care might be covered by the private insurance you get through your employer or your spouse’s employer. If you have questions, don’t hesitate to review your health insurance and contact your insurance helpline for guidance. 

Other times, the costs are covered or partially covered through a state or provincial subsidy. These rules are different depending on which state, province, or territory you reside in, so carefully investigate those policies to learn what applies to you.

Once you know your costs, look at your current budget to see where those costs can fit in. 

Home healthcare is worth the investment, because you or your loved one deserves quality care—and it can even minimize future medical costs. It’s easier to handle issues with expert care as they arise, rather than waiting for them to get worse before needing more intensive care.

Explore different care providers, read their profiles, and when you find one that seems like a good fit, schedule a virtual or in-person meeting. There’s nothing like having a live conversation outside of messaging. This gives you a chance for you and the caregiver to determine whether they would be able to meet all your needs. If you need a special type of care, ask if they are certified in that area.

Ask about their approach to home care. Since they’re providing long-term care in your own home, you’ll want to get a feel for their warmth and professionalism. (Pay attention to whether they’re easy to communicate with and whether they seem to understand what you need.)

All home health care providers should hold a diploma or certificate, so you know they’re qualified to provide unsupervised care in your home. Registered Nurses need a valid nursing license to guarantee they can provide professional medical care, and Certified Nurses will have an additional certification. PSWs need a PSW certification so you know they can provide competent non-medical support. 

All caregivers should undergo a background check with clear results. This will give you peace of mind, knowing that your provider is safe and reliable.

Caregivers also must be properly insured with Professional Liability Insurance (Errors and Omissions Insurance). This protects against potential mistakes or oversights, which offers you an extra layer of security and shows commitment to high professional standards.

Ready to move forward? Check out qualified home care professionals in your area.