Are you caring for an aging loved one? Women make up 80% of the medical decision-makers for households across the country. With responsibilities for their own growing families and aging parents, this special group of care providers has a desperate need for mobile medical services to help support aging parents at home. (Women are also 58.4% of the American workforce, so something has to give.)
Aging in place is not a new concept. In fact, 88% of Americans aged 50 – 80 say that it is important for them to stay at home as they age. Of those who want to age in place at home, less than half (47%) have given any thought to what is needed or made plans to live safely at home.
Before making a promise to keep an aging parent at home, explore supportive services that can help make that goal a reality. With a solid aging plan, finances to support their goals, and these seven services, a senior can safely age in place anywhere they choose to call home.
7 Services Available at Home
- Mobile Medical Provider
- Laboratory services
- X-ray services
- PT/OT/ST
- Dermatology services
- Wound care specialists
- Private duty home care
1. It all starts with the care coordination of a mobile medical provider.
Relief from the pressures of caregiving can be as easy as picking up the phone. Make that first call and get started with mobile medical services. There are many benefits of home-based primary care and convenience is just one. A mobile medical provider leads the charge on long-term wellness goals and prevention strategies.
Celebrate the modern-day reemergence of the family medical provider coming to the home and coordinating the care of aging parents! As a bit of a ringleader, the mobile medical provider is the hub of a less complicated wheel, assessing needs and providing orders for other home-centric services. A mobile medical provider best understands the day-to-day needs of a patient and family caregivers and can refer services that save time and energy for everyone involved.
2. Get your bloodwork done in the comfort of your own home.
Did you know that there are lab services that come to you? A home blood draw is done the same way as it would be at a doctor’s office without having to leave the living room. A mobile medical provider can refer a laboratory service that makes home visits and coordinate orders for the labs needed. The lab services are performed by qualified phlebotomists and typically charged to insurance, just like an office visit.
3. Diagnostic x-ray tests may be performed in the home with a medical provider’s order.
Falls in the home are a reality. After a fall, the convenience of a mobile x-ray provider is just what the doctor can order to ensure an injury hasn’t occurred. A mobile x-ray technician brings the equipment to the home, eliminating the need for an uncomfortable ride in a car. The x-ray technician works with the medical provider to provide the information needed so that a plan of care can be developed.
4. In-home therapy services help seniors age in place safely.
Whether or not a fall occurred that resulted in injury, a mobile provider can coordinate services to provide occupational therapy (OT), physical therapy (PT), and/or speech therapy (ST). These professionals can implement strategies to help senior individuals age safely at home, no matter where that home may be, including a senior living apartment.
A mobile medical provider helps bring resources to the home that promote safety and well-being. Occupational therapy can work with seniors to implement strategies for a safer environment, structured routines, and other practices to reduce movement insecurity. Additionally, physical therapy promotes preventative care, rehabilitation, and treatments for a senior living with chronic conditions, illnesses, or injuries.
5. Promote skin care wellness in the comfort of your own home.
When provider appointments are piling up, it’s easy to re-prioritize a skin condition you are self-diagnosing as non-urgent. Consider the mobile services of a dermatologist and the peace of mind that this provider can bring without the senior individual ever having to leave home. Routine skin screening is an important part of self-care throughout life – don’t let it slip due to a busy schedule.
6. Wound care services in the home save time and add a personal touch to healing.
If a senior has illnesses including peripheral vascular disease, diabetes, or adema, they may obtain a wound that does not heal easily. This can include a skin tear, pressure ulcer, biopsy wound, or traumatic wound that is not healing properly and may require a wound graft. A mobile medical provider can connect you with a specialized wound team that comes to the home to provide wound services, a highly skilled and personal service to help keep seniors at home safely.
7. Support services at home can include non-medical care.
When help is needed with light housekeeping and meal preparation or even assistance with bathing and dressing, a private duty caregiver can be the light in an otherwise dull day. Hourly-based and paid out-of-pocket, this service is often a bridge between complete independence and a move to senior living. For seniors who want to age in place for as long – and as safely – as possible, private duty care is an option worth exploring.
Who Pays for Mobile Medical Services at Home?
Depending on the service, it can be covered under Medicare Part A, Part B, or insurance. Often determining payment responsibility can be as simple as a phone call to the medical service provider. However, if your insurance plan does not cover a medical service you want or need, consider changing your plan during the next annual enrollment period. (Or ask an insurance specialist about a special enrollment period)
Is it Safer to Stay at Home or Move to Senior Living?
Each situation is different. An aging plan isn’t set in stone. Changes in medical condition or care needs may mean a move to senior living is a better option than staying at home. There is no way to predict the future, so committing to one path “no matter what” can be an emotional roller-coaster for a medical decision maker.
The good news? Mobile medical services can follow an older individual to their new senior living facility. As medical decision maker, take heart in the expansion of the care team that now includes both mobile medical providers and senior living staff. An expanded care team doesn’t replace family, but goes a long way towards relieving stress.
Get Started with Mobile Medical Services
Ready to make the call? Find a mobile medical provider near you and learn how to become a patient. They will schedule the initial home visit and assess the need for other mobile medical services. Don’t face care decisions alone - experience how an inclusive medical experience can positively impact and support the goals of any aging plan.
As a medical decision-maker, it is okay to ask for help. Let these dedicated medical professionals help with aging at home safely. Their commitment to health and wellness is just one reason Mobile Medical Services are one of the Resources We Love. Read more about these convenient and committed providers in the Resources Section of our Blog.
