Companion Care in Allentown and Wilkes-Barre, PA

The National Institute on Aging puts loneliness on the same list as heart disease: “loneliness and social isolation are associated with higher risks for health problems such as heart disease, depression, and cognitive decline” (NIA). That is why the companion care Allentown families arrange for a parent who lives alone is care, not a luxury: a trained caregiver who shows up on a schedule, talks, keeps the day on track and does the household tasks the person can no longer do alone. Home Care Concepts provides it in the Lehigh Valley and Luzerne County from its Allentown and Wilkes-Barre offices.

What companion care Allentown agencies provide

Pennsylvania defines companionship services in one line: “socialization, support and assistance with instrumental activities of daily living” (28 Pa. Code § 611.5). Instrumental activities are the tasks of running a life rather than a body: cooking, shopping, laundry, transportation, the phone, the mail, the bills and the medication schedule.

The left column is what the state calls socialization and instrumental activities. The right column is personal care, which requires additional training and a yearly competency review (28 Pa. Code § 611.55). A caregiver with both trainings does both in one visit.

When companion care is enough, and when it is not

The rule of thumb is the bathroom door. A companion can sit outside it, remind the person to shower and call for help; she cannot go in and hold the person up. If your parent needs a hand in the shower, on the toilet or out of the chair, the level is personal care.

The measuring tool is the Lawton scale, which scores eight instrumental activities from 0 to 8: telephone, shopping, food preparation, housekeeping, laundry, transportation, medications and finances (Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing). Every lost point is a companion care task. An empty fridge, unopened mail, a missed appointment or yesterday’s pills still in the organizer are the usual first signs. Our guide to companion care vs. personal care shows how to score both scales at home, and 10 signs your loved one urgently needs home care covers the moments when waiting is no longer safe.

Why the company itself is part of the care

The NIA lists what isolates older adults, and the causes arrive together: loss of mobility, hearing or vision problems, living alone, no transportation, the death of a spouse or friends. It links isolation to poorer cognitive function and a higher risk of dementia. A companion visit interrupts that: someone to talk to, a reason to get dressed, a game of dominoes. Our article on loneliness in older adults at home explains how to recognize it.

How companion care is scheduled

Companion care usually starts with two or three visits a week of three to four hours: a morning to cook, clean and shop; an afternoon for an appointment and a walk; a check-in on the day the family cannot come. Most agencies set a minimum visit of two to four hours. As needs grow, the same visits stay and a caregiver trained in personal care takes over the morning routine, so the person does not lose the company. A family caregiver who needs a few hours off each week uses the same visits as respite.

Before services start, a licensed agency must give you in writing the services, the caregiver’s identity, the hours and the fees. Once you request a caregiver, Home Care Concepts contacts you within 24 hours; non-emergency calls are monitored 24/7 and answered within two hours.

How companion care is paid

Home Care Concepts works with Medicaid Waiver and the VA as payer sources and accepts private pay.