You can hire an in-home caregiver to help out for a few hours a day with cooking, grocery shopping and other activities of daily living. Photo © Yuri Arcurs | Dreamstime.com

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Most people want to stay in their own homes as they age: Nearly 80% of older adults say they prefer to age in place, according to AARP.  

But when cooking, yardwork and stairs become too much trouble, who do you ask for help? 

Dozens of home healthcare companies exist in our area, and in a matter of hours, they can send someone to your house to help make meals, shop, run errands, do light cleaning and laundry, bathe, walk or get you to doctor’s appointments. 

Many families start with just a few hours of help per week, according to Tom Smith, Regional Manager of Family & Nursing Care,, which has been serving Marylanders since 1968. 

“A lot of times they start with a couple of hours, a couple of days a week, just to get used to the idea of having someone in their home,” Smith said. “The hope is that it’s the same caregiver, and they become friends.” 

Here’s how it works: The agency sends a case manager to the home to meet the client and their family. Then, depending on the family’s needs, the client is matched with either a registered nurse or caregiver. All the while, the case manager keeps track of the older adult’s changing needs. 

Some clients are surprised by how much they appreciate the extra help around the house, Smith said. They tell the company, “This has actually been life-changing. I would like someone here every day to make dinner and help me get ready for bed,” Smith said. 

They don’t even have to provide a to-do list for the caregiver, he said. 

“Some people just use us for companionship, if mom doesn’t have a lot of visitors,” Smith said. 

Get help anywhere 

Though it’s called “home” care, that really means you can get help anywhere you are living, whether long-term or short-term. If you’re not living in a traditional single-family home anymore, you can get some extra help in an independent living or even assisted living or long-term care community. Many people recovering in a hospital can also appreciate having someone around whose only concern is their needs.  

Some communities have their own home care services right on campus. Oak Crest, located in Parkville, Maryland, has a program called “home support” — a team of private-duty, vetted certified nursing assistants who can help with activities of daily living. 

For instance, said Robin Keeler, Oak Crest’s director of resident life, “We can just pop in a couple times a day and remind them to take their medication. If someone needs help getting bathed and dressed during the day, we stop in and help with that. Or if someone needs that at night.” 

Think small: People can hire a helper at Oak Crest for a few hours once a year (though most companies have minimums, such as four hours per day). 

“We can help you do holiday shopping or switch over your clothes from season to season. It doesn’t necessarily have to be long-term. We see what their needs are and match them with a caregiver.” 

Oak Crest residents pay out-of-pocket for “home support,” but they may be reimbursed by their insurance companies. That goes for any home healthcare agency. 

“A lot of people don’t realize that long-term care insurance will [in some cases] cover some in-home services as well,” Keeler pointed out. 

She said it’s best to go through an agency that performs background checks. 

“If you’re looking to hire someone in-home, my recommendation is always to go through an agency that has processes for vetting their employees,” Keeler said. 

Oak Crest also has a Medicare-certified home health agency for urgent, short-term rehabilitation. After a hospital stay, for instance, Oak Crest can send staffers to help with recovery. 

In-home care to prevent hospitalizations 

It’s best to try out in-home care before a health emergency.  

“Instead of waiting until there’s a crisis, it’s better to just see about having an assessment for in-home care. That’s better than waiting for the next acute episode,” said Leana Hoover, chief operating officer of Gilchrist Services, an affiliate of Greater Baltimore Medical Center (GBMC).  

Although Gilchrist, founded in 1994, is known for providing care for serious issues like chronic illnesses, end-of-life care and hospice, the company also has been providing primary care in the home for a decade. 

In 2016, GBMC launched a program to reduce emergency room (ER) visits by people over 75 years old. By keeping in touch with frequent ER visitors, Gilchrist’s in-home care providers can determine the reason for their crises.  

“Maybe they can’t afford their medications, and that’s why they continue to come back,” Hoover said. 

Through the Support Our Elders program, Gilchrist provides a social worker to check in on the patient at home to make sure they have enough money to buy food and pay their power bills. By sending physicians, nurses and social workers directly to the patient, they can make a personal connection and help in any way necessary.  

“The goal is that continuity of care so they can stop using the [ER] for their primary care,” Hoover said. 

Familiar faces 

Most home care companies try to promote personal connections between clients and caregivers. They often send the same person or same team to the house so that everyone gets to know each other — which means better care. 

At Family & Nursing Care, quite a few employees are family members. The company founder’s adult children work there, and Tom Smith took a job there alongside his wife and sister. 

“My wife and my sister always spoke highly of the company, and I saw firsthand how they treated their clients,” said Smith, who previously worked as a social worker, so he joined the team, too. 

“Thankfully, we get along very well,” he said. “We frustrate the rest of the family, though, when we have family gatherings and we talk about work.” 

For more information about Family & Nursing Care, call (410) 697-8200 or visit familynursingcare.com.  

To see if you qualify for Gilchrist’s Support Our Elders Program, call (443) 849-6257 or visit their website at gilchristservices.org/supportourelders for the full list of eligibility criteria and program benefits.  

Find out more about programs for older adults and home healthcare agencies by callilng (410) 396-CARE (2273) or visit Maryland Access Point at marylandaccesspoint.211md.org to search in your area.