Is Home Care the Best Option For Your Family?

As people age, living independently in their homes becomes more challenging. Some seniors need help with activities of daily living (ADLs) like bathing and eating. In contrast, others need assistance with medical issues like prescriptions or routine physician visits. The Pennsylvania Healthcare Association says that “an estimated 70% of people turning 65 will require long-term care in their lifetime.” There are many options to provide care to your parents, grandparents, and other family members. Options range from living in a nursing home to various levels of in home care. So how can you and your family determine if home care is the best option or if you need other options?

Many Seniors Want to Stay in Their Homes

While essential to consider all options and what is best for your family, home care is often preferred by older adults. A survey by Cross Country Workforce Solutions Group found that “of those aged 50 years or older, 70% would prefer in-home care.” This makes sense from seniors’ perspectives: seniors get to stay in a comfortable, familiar environment in terms of their physical house and surrounding communities.

Benefits of Home Care

In addition to being a familiar and comfortable environment for seniors, other reasons make home care the best option for your family.

Independence

Home care allows for a higher degree of independence and privacy. However, after decades of independence, some seniors are understandably afraid of becoming mentally or physically unable to care for themselves. The loss of driving privileges and an inability to do routine household tasks or activities, such as making meals at home, are particularly troubling. In addition, other care options like assisted living facilities can feel restrictive as seniors may have limited opportunities to visit or connect with friends and family.

With home care, seniors get the care they need to live comfortably while having the autonomy to visit a friend’s house or a park or do certain hobbies and activities. Neighborly Home Care was founded on allowing loved ones to stay in the warmth of their homes rather than be in a more “hospital-like” atmosphere in a nursing home.

Home healthcare can provide many of the services offered in a nursing home, but your loved ones are within the walls of a home where they are warm and comfortable. Furthermore, Neighborly Home Care is properly insured, licensed as a home care agency, and employee-based. Therefore, the agency can easily work with long-term care insurance providers.

Flexibility

Another reason home care is the best option for your family is the plan’s flexibility. Everyone is different, and every older adult has different conditions. For example, some may have trouble with everyday activities, like dressing or bathing. Others may be able to do these simple tasks themselves, but have challenges with more complex activities of daily living, like cooking or laundry. And some people may need help with transportation.

Home care services may be right for your family if your loved ones struggle with these tasks. Home care providers can assist with household chores, housekeeping tasks, and transportation depending on what level of care your loved one needs. In addition, you and your family have control over the plan and can make adjustments or changes based on your loved ones’ condition.

So, you can start with a respite care plan to help you as a family caregiver. Then, over time you can work with the home caregiving agency to adjust the program depending on your situation. For example, if your loved one needs additional care or your schedule changes, you can work with the agency to accommodate those changes.

Home care specialists at Neighborly Home Care assist older adults and those who have the following:

• Alzheimer’s
• Parkinson’s
• Dementia
• Stroke
• Physical disabilities
• Debilitating conditions that require the assistance of another individual

Services provided by Neighborly Home Care include the following; medication reminders, light housekeeping/laundry, transportation services, meal preparation, running errands, personal hygiene, escorts to doctor’s appointments, dressing and other daily activities, respite care, one-to-one during hospital stays and perhaps most importantly; companionship.

One of Neighborly Home Care’s services that eases the minds of older adults’ family members is one-to-one hospital stays. If your loved one needs to spend time in a hospital, they can have companionship and a caregiver who understands their personal needs and preferences. Moe importantly, they can have an advocate for when family members are unable to be present. This benefit can be so important since your loved one will come into contact with many unfamiliar people who may lack understanding of their needs and preferences. Sometimes, hospital staff can get too busy to notice things patients need.

When considering home care for your loved one, let us know as soon as you know your loved one will require care. This way, we can make arrangements as soon as possible. We will have a meeting to determine the potential client’s specific needs. This also assists us in finding a caregiver that will match the client’s needs and preferences.