As an adult child, what are you to do when you recognize that your mother or father can not live their life independently any longer? That they are struggling with the activities of daily living or ADLs. Is the only option to move them into an institutional setting? No. Consider home care. Home care provides an alternative to an institutional setting that is flexible, personal and allows the parent to remain in their own home.
So just how is this flexible? Well if you move into an institutional setting, well you live there – 24 hours a day. But say your parent really only needs help getting going in the morning, or Tuesday and Wednesday concern you because you can not go by their house on those days. Hire a caregiver for the schedule that meets your needs. If over nights are a problem, well then problem solved.
But flexibility does not end with just scheduling. You are integral in the development of the care plan that meets the needs of both the client and the family too. This means the level of care – assistance with bathing or not, assistance with ambulation or not. If getting outside the home is stimulating, it should certainly be included in the plan. Also, grocery shopping and going to doctors appointments can be a big benefit of home care services.
Best of all, these services are delivered by your new friends. If you do not end up developing a relationship with your caregivers, you should find a new caregiver. The personal nature of Home Care is perhaps the most important element of it. No one enjoys having strangers help them, especially with activities where you could feel very vulnerable. Your caregivers will become people who you look forward to spending time with.
Finally, do not take it from me, you can refer to any one of the many studies or simply ask a senior where they want to live as they age. At home. So why do we forward thinking people think that it is best to move our elders into an institutional setting. It's just silly really. We love our homes. We have memories in our homes, and we want to stay in our homes as long as possible. Yes there may come a time when it no longer makes sense for us to live in our homes, but home care helps us push that time further out. Usually it is a safety issue that will force a senior to move out of their home, but with the presence of a caregiver in the home, the senior's safety is greatly enhanced. The caregiver can see that the senior is eating properly, taking medications and that the home is clean and free of tripping hazards. This increased safety factor can allow a person to live safely and securely in their home for years longer than they could live their alone.
Home care service providers flexibility and personal Touches help motivated seniors who wish to remain in their home as they age the ability to do just that.