Aides, under the supervision of a registered nurse, follow a plan of care developed specifically to meet individual patient needs. Additionally aides can assist with home management activities. When the normal functioning of a household is disrupted due to illness or some other emergency, a home health aide can assist in preserving the family routine and insure that the household continues to function. An aide can help children get dressed and off to school, do laundry, meal planning and preparation and other tasks as needed. These people are often candidates for nursing home placement when unable to access community services.
Cases can be very long term and service needs are monitored and appropriately changed over time.
Home health aides assist with personal care, household management, and provide a source of companionship. Through this service, caregivers can have relief from the consuming job of caregiving and have an opportunity to run errands, socialize or otherwise use their limited, uncommitted time as they choose. People in wheelchairs or who use the assistance of walkers regularly attend day care. Because these seniors are unable to buy food and basic necessities such as medicine, on their own, they are at risk of losing their independence even though they are capable of caring for themselves in almost all other areas. Volunteers generally shop once a week for clients.