Benefits Of Home Care For Seniors
For aging seniors, home care can provide them with a sense of independence and comfort. Being able to have more flexibility and freedom with their day-to-day schedule, can be extremely beneficial to their mental health and well-being. In this blog, we’ll outline many of the benefits and key elements that in-home care can provide seniors.
Improves Quality of Life
One of the benefits of having in-home care for seniors is that being in a comfortable environment improves their quality of life. Being institutionalized can prove to be the start of a decline for seniors, since they aren’t in their environment and don’t have the comforts they’re used to. Their home is not as restrictive as a hospital or long term care facility would be, eliminating stressors on their body and mind. Home care also provides the individual with a sense of independence, since it allows more control on their daily schedule, like when they eat, socialize or go out. What’s great is that the caregiver is able to support and assist in their everyday activities, enabling their sense of self-worth.
One-On-One Care
Home care is unique because assistance is always one-on-one. In a hospital or institution, attention to each patient must be divided. Having assistance in the elder’s home, means that their needs are top priority and the personalization of their care plan is catered to the elder. This is also a great way for your aging loved one to have some sort of companionship when you aren’t able to be there with them, allowing them to build a closer bond with another person and get used to a familiar face.
Providing Help When You Aren’t There
If you live a distance away, care giving can be exhausting and strenuous. The benefits of home care, is that you not only avoid the fatigue that comes with tending to your senior, but it gives you peace of mind knowing that you have another helping hand that is trained and qualified to facilitate your elder’s needs. The caregiver is able to evaluate different safety risks in the home and make adjustments, so that the home is a safer environment to be in, as well as provide assistance and recommendations for any ambulatory aid they may need.
Proper Diet and Medication Management
Maintaining a well-balanced and proper diet can be tricky for anyone, but for elders it may prove to be more of a challenge. For aging seniors, or those suffering from a chronic illness, proper nutrition is especially important to avoid malnutrition. If your loved one is on bed rest or generally has trouble maneuvering their way around their kitchen, chances are they won’t be able to prepare meals that provide them with the proper nutritional value. Having in home care can ensure that appropriate meal prep and nutrition is provided, and generally giving them a home-cooked meal.
Managing their medication is an additional worry. Having a skilled support worker on hand alleviates the confusion and frustration of knowing the appropriate prescription medication to take at the right time. Blister packs can also be provided by your pharmacist and make administering medication much easier. Having this kind of organization, will ensure your elder’s day has a proper routine.
Overall, home care is becoming a more affordable and comfortable option for an array of different needs from short to long-term care. From its many advantages it provides seniors, you also have to take into consideration if this is the right health care option for them. Here are some points to take note of before you decide on in-home care.
- Make sure the in-home care your elder receives is comparable to the care at a nursing facility. If your elder requires specialized equipment for treatments, you want to make sure this can be facilitated in the home.
- You want someone that maintains a level of professionalism and experience. This means that they are prompt, not idling during work hours, and making sure your elder’s needs are taken care of at all times. It is important that they are well versed in all tasks and medical management.
- Above all, you want someone who is compassionate and understanding. Nothing can make the environment more cold and hostile than someone who exudes those qualities. Having someone who is warm and holds a level of understanding towards their patient, is especially important.
Having a caregiver in your home can be a great blessing to you and your family. It can give you peace of mind knowing that you have extra help when you need it the most. As the first domestic payroll service in Canada, NannyTax has the most experience and knowledge in helping Canadians set up and maintain payroll for their caregivers. Our aim is to simplify this process and take care of all those number crunching and deadlines you face, and to save on your overall household budget, giving you the peace of mind you deserve. Give us a call today with any question or to learn more!
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Image courtesy of Matthias Zomer
