What Is A Licensed Home Care Agency (LHCSA)?

A licensed home care agency, or a licensed home care services agency (LHCSA), provides home care services to clients who prefer to pay privately or have private insurance coverage. 

The NYS Department of Health monitors the services provided by all LHCSAs in the state. LHCSAs usually provide hourly or daily nursing care, home care, housekeeping, and personal care assistance for the elderly who want to live independent lives in the comfort of their own homes. 

What services are provided by LHCSAs?

• Personal care assistance 
  • Dressing
  • Self-feeding
  • Oral hygiene
  • Haircare
  • Grooming 
  • Toileting
  • Bathing
  • Verbal or visual reminders to take regularly scheduled medication or perform scheduled treatments, exercises
• Homemaking services
  • Housekeeping
  • Laundry 
  • Shopping 
  • Meal planning and preparation
  • Transportation
• Companionship services
  • Accompanying clients to doctor’s appointments, social events, and other gatherings
• Respite care services 
  • Providing short-term or long-term assistance and support to relieve primary caregivers (family members)

When should I get the services of a LHCSA for my loved one?

Related Article: How can a licensed home care agency help you?

The needs of our elderly loved ones vary. Some may require 24-hour assistance with continuity of care, while others only need a few hours of supervision to continue living independently at home. Despite the different needs our loved ones may have, we should know when it’s time to get home care help. 

Here are a few indicators that you need to get the services offered by a licensed home care agency:

• • When you need someone who can provide competent and knowledgeable care for your loved ones.

    Sometimes, degenerative diseases can change abruptly, such as in the case of dementia. They may become confused, wander off, or become disoriented. First-time family caregivers may find it difficult to adjust to the changes in their loved ones’ behaviors, and may not be able to provide the level of care their loved ones require. Hiring professionals who are experienced in caring for individuals with dementia may allow your loved one to get the full range of assistance they require on a day-to-day basis. Related Article: 5 Reasons Your Elderly Needs Home Care Service

• • When you have your hands full with work and other obligations.

    As much as we’d like to stop everything to care for our loved ones, sometimes, it’s just not that easy. Our work and other obligations also need to be tended to. In such cases, getting help from a licensed home care agency is the next best thing as physically being there. This would also be a good option if your loved elderly loved one lives far away from you and you need the assurance that they are being cared for properly and that they are safe in their own homes.

• • When you want to provide hands-on care but also need a few hours in a day or days in a week to recharge or to take care of other things.

    Though you enjoy being a family caregiver, you sometimes need a few hours in a day to recharge or a few days in a week for your other responsibilities or hobbies. Getting a licensed home care agency is beneficial because you can set certain days or hours that you’d need someone you can entrust your loved one to as you take the time to run important errands, read a good book, exercise, or just enjoy a stroll in the park. 

• • When you need someone who can assist with activities that require lifting, turning, repositioning, or other physically demanding tasks for your loved ones.

    If you have low back pain, sciatica, carpal tunnel syndrome, or other musculoskeletal conditions, it would be helpful to get help from professionals who are knowledgeable of proper ergonomics as well as when and how to perform manual lifting techniques. 

• • When your elderly loved one prefers to have someone else provide daily assistance instead of a family member.

    Sometimes, our loved ones may simply prefer to have someone else — a skilled friend — help them with their daily needs. Related Article: Benefits of Hiring a Caregiver Through an Agency

• • When you are always traveling or is away.

The differences of an LHCSA, CHHA and Companion Agencies in a nutshell.[/caption]