How to Select Elder Care 101 A Guide to Selecting Home Care in Arlington County and Fairfax County Understanding The Stage of Care You May Need There are three types of home care, or sometimes referred to as elder care, offered in Northern Virginia and they go from a fully independent older adult to one that is bed ridden. I am outlining in the first section the stages below and some guidance to understand where the needs for your parent may be. In the second section, I outline the options for early stage care also known as companion care. Companion Care : This is the stage where the older adult is fully capable of coming and going as they please. Families are concerned that the older adult may be alone for too long but there is no concern of them not returning and they can cook for themselves, eat by themselves and in most cases they still drive. This is the earliest stage of care and typically for older adults who live alone, this is the first form of care an ...