New law helps provide better care for elderly

Once upon a time, grandma lived with one of her children, helping pass along housekeeping skills and taking care of the grandchildren. When she was older, there was always someone around to look after her needs. Only in the most extreme circumstances would her children consider consigning her to a nursing home, where strangers would see to it that she was clothed and fed.

Things are different today; the children live hundreds if not thousands of miles away, both parents are working, and the children spend time in daycare when they're not in school. There's just no room for grandma, anymore.

If she's able to stay in her own home, that's fine. There are many more ways to keep in touch today, whether it's the telephone or cellular phone, emergency signaling device or even instant messaging and e-mail.

But if she begins to have trouble getting around, can't keep track of her medication or shouldn't drive a car, her family faces a difficult decision. If living with a family member isn't an option, and moving to an assisted living isn't financially feasible or necessary quite yet, perhaps in-home help is the answer.

Unfortunately, there hasn't been a system in place to make sure those providing such assistance are adequately trained, and can be trusted in an elderly person's home, yet are still affordable.

A new state law helps rectify the situation. And, although we are blessed with good nursing home and assisted living facilities, it's especially important to Southwest Nebraska with our high elderly population.

Signed by Gov. Dave Heineman, LB236, sponsored by Tom Hansen of North Platte and Pete Pirsch of Omaha, establishes a level of in-home personal services that can be performed by caregivers that do not require medical or nursing judgment.

The law allows those caregivers to provide non-medical services to seniors, including hands-on assistance with activities of daily living, transfer, grooming, medication reminders and similar activities.

"In-home personal services" are defined as providing attendant, companion and homemaker services that don't require medical or nursing judgment, and enable people to remain safe and comfortable in their homes.

The three levels of service include:

* Attendant: hands-on assistance with daily living and transfer, grooming, medication reminders, application of non-therapeutic topical applications and similar activities.

* Companion:?fellowship and providing a safe and healthy environment as well as activities to stimulate their minds, incidental transportation and reading, for example.

* Homemaker: assistance with household tasks including laundry, shopping and long-term meal preparation as well as maintaining a home's cleanliness and safe environment.

To qualify to provide any of the three levels of service and be employed by any in-home personal services agency, the worker must pass a criminal background, driving record and other mandatory registry checks, as well as possess other qualifications.

Perhaps we can't return to the old model of family life, but the new law acknowledges modern conditions and helps provide the best possible care for our elderly.