I want to use Home Care services. What should I do next? It's easy, just pick up the phone and give us a call at 1-800-232-9071. Please be specific with regard to the kind of help you're looking for. For example, "I need someone to come twice a week and prepare supper for me," or "I have having difficulty in getting around right now and need someone to be with me during the day while I'm alone." We realize that each situation is different, and we want to make our services available to as many people as possible, so providing us with as much information as possible will allow us to do everything we can to meet your need. After we've discussed what sort of help is required, we'll schedule an evaluation meeting with you. Someone from this office will come to see you. There are certain insurance requirements we need to meet before serving a new client, so during the evaluation, we inspect your residence safety issues. This of course is in addition to the privilege of meeting you in person! What services can home aides perform? • Care: For the individual, through spiritual witnessing, nurturing, cherishing, and comforting. • Personal Care: Light assistance with such things as bathing, commoding, oral care, and other services necessary to maintain one's cleanliness. • Nourishment: Preparing of food, assisting with feeding, and encouraging the individual to eat as appropriate. • Light Housekeeping: Including dusting, vacuuming, and other services to maintain the environment of the client. • Personal Shopping: For groceries and sundries. • Communication: By assisting the individual to write letters and call practitioners, nurses, or family members, while not interfering with these relationships. • Encouragement: By gently offering Christian support of the individual's expression of life, vitality, and normal activity consistent with his/her needs. • Reading Aloud: Reading from the Holy Bible, authorized Christian Science literature, and other appropriate material. • Transportation: To assist with shopping, personal errands, church activities, etc. What services are not provided by home aides? • Giving Christian Science treatment or being responsible for healing. • Replacing or substituting for a Christian Science nurse. • Being an intermediary between the client and the Christian Science practitioner, nurse, or family. • Giving advice or counsel. • Diagnosing, recording, or maintaining a record of symptoms or conditions. • Administering medication, drugs, medicated products, or supplies which are purported to aid healing or bring relief from pain, soreness, itching, etc. • Using and administering medically-oriented techniques, equipment, and technology. • Manipulation, massages, therapeutic exercises (physical therapy). • Force-feeding or intravenous feeding. What exactly is a "home aide?" A home aide is a member of The Mother Church who has been trained by Home Care for Christian Scientists, Inc. to assist those who need basic, temporary help and wish to remain at home while they seek healing through prayer. A home aide provides practical support to clients, such as reading the Bible Lesson, doing grocery shopping, preparing simple meals, doing light housekeeping, and providing transportation. Most of all, a home aide, when ever called upon to serve, brings a healing, uplifted thought. What training and qualifications do home aides have? Home Care for Christian Scientists, Inc. trains all of its home aides. Training sessions are conducted by Christian Science nurses listed in The Christian Science Journal, together with our staff. During training, home aides explore the metaphysical concepts that support their work, as well as the more practical aspects of the job, such as learning how to assist someone needing help standing or walking. All home aides are required to attend these meetings. New members joining at different times during the year will be provided interim training until they are able to attend a regular session. All home aides must be members of The Mother Church and preferably have had Christian Science class instruction. They should have experience in household care and be motivated by a desire to help and to offer comfort. How can I learn more about becoming a home aide? If you think you might be interested in becoming a home aide, please contact us! Must a Christian Science practitioner be serving a Home Care client? Since the services we provide are in support of Christian Science healing, the client must make available the name of a Journal-listed practitioner who can be contacted if necessary— even if the client is not currently working with one at the time a home aide’s services are requested. How can I print a page from Home Care's web site? When trying to print a page from our web site, you may find that only the titlebar or navigation buttons have printed. Before printing a page simply doubleclick anywhere in the main display area, below the titlebar and to the right of the green navigation margin. The Home Care web site uses a system called "frames," which is essentially a grouping of separate web pages. The titlebar, navigation margin and main display area are actually separate web pages, combined on your screen as one. If you don't click in the main display area before printing, your computer may choose the wrong "page" to print. What if I still have a question? Please contact us and we will answer it! Back | Return to Top | Contact Us ©2004 Home Care for Christian Scientists, Inc.