A Guide to Catholic Charities Home Care Services for the Elderly

Overview of Catholic Charities Home Care Services for Seniors in Illinois

Catholic Charities is an organization that has provided assistance to people in need in Illinois for close to a century. They offer a wide range of services for seniors. As well as referrals to resources seniors and their families can use. This post provides a brief overview of those services and resources. It also discusses how to receive caregiver services for seniors in Illinois.

Catholic Charities Senior Services

Catholic Charities services include both senior services and recommendations for services focused on the elderly. These services range from adult care and food and nutrition programs; to catholic community services like counseling, case management, and senior housing. There is also job training for younger seniors who want to develop skills for future employment.

Counseling and case management are also crucial tools for older adults and their family members. As people get older, ongoing health, financial, and family issues can be exacerbated. Catholic Charities Chicago home health services offer a list of behavioral health and counseling services.

Case managers assist seniors by assessing them for catholic community services such as in-home care and other support programs. They can also step in and help facilitate cases suspected of elder abuse.

What to Know About Catholic Charities Home Care Services for the Elderly

Catholic Charities operates a homemaker services program for seniors. But these services are for seniors who cannot meet the requirements set forth by the Department on Aging in Illinois. These requirements are:

• Being Age 60 or older
• A resident of Illinois, a citizen of the United States, or a legal resident.
• Must have a need for long-term care as assessed by a case manager or care coordinator.
• Make $17,500 or less in non-exempt income.

What Kind of Services Do Caregivers Provide?

Seniors who qualify for in-home care services under the Medicaid program in Illinois can expect to receive assistance with services such as:

• Personal care: Assistance with bathing, dressing, eating, grooming, and toileting
• Light housekeeping: Help with vacuuming, mopping, and dusting.
• Laundry assistance: Washing, folding, ironing, and sorting laundry.
• Meal Prep: Preparing, serving and, cleaning up after a meal.
• Errand-Running: Caregivers can run errands for clients, like going grocery shopping and picking up medications.
• Companionship: Participate in activities and conversations designed to keep seniors engaged.

Obtaining Caregiver Services

A care manager or care coordinator will assess a senior and develop a care plan. The care plan covers what assistance the client needs. Also, how often they need it in the course of a given week, and the number of hours that a caregiver or family caregiver will be permitted to work in that span of time.

Home Care Powered by AUAF is an approved Medicaid provider of in-home care services for seniors in the surrounding Chicago area. We coordinate with a client’s care coordination unit or managed care organization to provide services to our clients according to their plan of care. They are provided to qualified clients at no out-of-pocket cost to them.

Becoming a Paid Caregiver for a Family Member

Federal and state governments have recognized the value of having family members serve as paid caregivers for elderly people for some time. Back in the mid-1990s, trial government programs called “Cash and Counseling” were created in a few states in the Medicaid fund system.

The Medicaid office, known as the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS[DM1] ) determined that because family members were often acting as unpaid caregivers and were unable to balance having a full time job with taking care of their elderly relatives, there was an opportunity to solve two problems at once by providing financial assistance to family caregivers.

In the years since, the term “cash and counseling” has been replaced in many places by “self-directed care.” In Illinois, the Cash and Counseling Program is now part of the Community Care Program through the Illinois Department on Aging.

Working with a Home Care Agency as a Paid Caregiver

An important aspect of any caregiver relationship is; to have a professional home care agency caregiver that can provide a caregiver support at every step of the process. A home care agency can provide the knowledge and training necessary for you; to succeed in your role as a caregiver. With that, they can also provide things like respite care for when you need time away.

Having a professional home care agency can also be important to ensure that your elderly relative’s care is provided without any paperwork problems. Or bureaucratic delays. You may also find that; being a paid caregiver is a rewarding career and wish to take on other care recipients as well.

Home Care Powered by AUAF can Help You Become a Paid Caregiver

In conclusion, Home Care Powered by AUAF is a home care agency; that can help walk you through the process of becoming a paid caregiver for your elderly relative living at home. We provide paid training and a competitive wage. While handling the necessary paperwork to get your loved one the care they need.

Meanwhile, Call us at 773-274-9262 or contact us today to see how the dedicated and professional team at Home Senior Care Powered by AUAF can help.

other related articles:

How to Become a Paid Caregiver for a Family Member in 4 Steps

Six Ways New Caregivers Can Succeed

Caregiving for a Stubborn Elderly Loved One

A Guide for New Caregivers