Determining when to have home care doesn’t have to be a difficult decision. Home care is a blessing to those who want to remain independent and in their own homes as they age. In fact, there are many advantages to having home care and we’ll take a look at some of them.
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What is Home Care?
Home care can encompass a number of definitions. It is used when skilled, certified aides, or licensed medical professional such as nurses come into the home to provide different levels of care for an individual. This can include activities of daily living (ADLs) or even things like monitoring of serious medical conditions, physiotherapy and housekeeping.
As you see, the range of care is broad and can satisfy many specific needs. But what are the advantages?
Advantages of Home Care
Greater independence
When it comes time to care for a loved one, it can be challenging if they need additional assistance. If you’re at that juncture, see Competence – 7 Things To Consider for a little extra help. Once you’ve been able to decide what kind of help is needed inside the home, using home care as a solution means your loved one may be able to stay in the home that they love.
They may also be able to keep participating in their social activities or exercise programs with the assistance of someone in their home. Being able to remain in their own home and retaining as much independence as possible is beneficial for mental and cognitive health.
Familiarity and Pets
With staying in the home comes familiarity, the maintaining of routines as much as is possible. Retaining this level of emotional comfort can be very important. When someone is in need of additional assistance, implementing a major life change, such as moving can be detrimental to mental health.
Having home care also allows for the keeping of pets in the home. This may not seem important, but pets can provide love and companionship, when this may be on low supply. Have a peek at The Healing Power of Pets for Seniors for more information.
Safety
Safety is usually the first concern and having care in the home on a regular basis satisfies that need for most individuals. Unless a patient needs full-time medical supervision, different levels of skilled home care can meet needs. Concerns such as fall risks, forgetting to take medications and wandering can all be managed by having home care.
Reducing these and others risks not only improves quality of life, but also means less trips to the hospital and less risk for highly dangerous situations.
High Quality Personalized Care
Perhaps one of the biggest advantages of home care is that it can be highly tailored to meet individual needs. Perhaps an individual needs light housekeeping, assistance with bathing and dressing and driving to appointments. Home care can do that. Or perhaps an individual needs an aide to live in the home to provide daily ADL support due to family living far away. Home care can do that too.
Home care also includes highly skilled professionals who can come on a daily or weekly basis to administer medications, monitor medical conditions, write reports or provide physiotherapy.
The range of personalization of care is the greatest when choosing home care.
Familial Peace of Mind
We seem to place undue guilt on ourselves as family members, but caring for an ailing or ill individual can place additional stress, strain and even medical risk to an unskilled family caregiver. There can also be situations where family members now live far away and can’t participate in the daily care of a family member.
Even in situations when family members live nearby, the needs may be greater than family alone can provide for. With a high level of personalization, care can be used when it’s needed. For example, if the family is highly available during the day, an aide can be provided over night, when safety concerns or needs may be higher.
This peace of mind not only for the individual, but for family members is priceless.
Wrap Up
With home care being so highly personalized, it can meet the needs of most individuals (and their families). The care, comfort and independence of staying in one’s own home is ultimately invaluable.
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Do you have questions about how you can better support your loved one while they age in place in South Florida or regarding homecare in general? Please contact CareGivers of America here: Contact or call us toll free: 800-342-4197
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*No information in this article is to be taken as advice, medical or otherwise. This post is not sponsored, but may contain external links to websites, articles or product examples. External links are used for example or refence purposes only and these links do not indicate specific product or website endorsement by CareGivers of America.