When your parents are no longer in a position to remain autonomous due to old age, you may begin to worry about their general well-being. Therefore, you can entrust a home care service provider who understands the importance of maintaining a good quality of life for your loved ones. In addition, quality maintenance is secured because the assigned home care provider undertakes all services at the elder’s home.
The services offered should consider all the primary requirements that the elderly person would like to continue receiving. Moreover, their health and comfort should be a primary consideration to prevent their physical and mental health deterioration. You should also consider well-trained service providers who can provide solutions in case of emergencies. In doing so, you will be reassured of the elder’s safety even when you are not close or available for visits.
The Nature of Home Care Services
Instead of sending your aging parent to a nursing home, you can choose to provide home care to uphold your parent’s comfort. The services are structured to provide professional medical and personal services without moving your loved ones out of their homes. As a result, the person receiving care can continue living their life with minimal interruptions.
Ideally, most people want to extend support and help to aging parents personally. However, leading separate lives, careers, and nuclear families often requires a lot of energy and presence. Due to the existing time and distance challenge, you may rarely see your parents. This causes constant worry and apprehension on your part, particularly if your parent also suffers from a terminal illness or lives with an underlying health condition.
Thanks to the different forms of home care services available, you can improve your parent's life despite the limited chances of personal involvement. Since home caregivers are specially trained to offer top-notch support, your loved one receives exceptional company and help as required.
Usually, different service agreements are available to help schedule the caregiver’s working hours. For example, elderly parents living alone may require an in-house caregiver for constant supervision and help. On the other hand, you may be living with your parents, but working during the day. Subsequently, the person lacks someone to assist them when you are away, prompting you to seek home care options.
Most home care service providers are also happy to provide friendly service rates, based on the agreement. However, you should note that the charges vary depending on the home care service you opt for. If you prefer your loved one to access all round care, the charges may be slightly higher than day-based home care services.
Types of Home Care Services Available
When you decide to work with home care service providers for your aging parent's well-being, you will need to select the preferred form of care. Your choice will depend on your parent's needs, health conditions, and lifestyle, among other factors.
Additionally, choosing one form of care does not lock you out from selecting a different type, or combining two types, if needed. Overall, these care services are specially crafted to uphold health, comfort, and companionship for the person receiving them. Some forms of care available for your parent's comfort include:
Home Health Care Services
Firstly, you can select a home health care service that upholds your aging parent’s health while at home. The option is an excellent alternative for hospitalization or receiving treatment in nursing homes for persons who prefer to remain in their residential homes. With a home health care service, your parents will receive equally professional medical support as would be available in the hospital.
When cleared to start the care plan, a skilled nurse is assigned to your loved one's home to provide specific medical care remedies. Thus, the home health care option is ideal for persons living with serious medical conditions, terminal illnesses, or high-risk patients. During the initial meeting with the care service provider, you can specify your parent's medical condition and any medical instructions that the caregiver must comply with.
For example, people living with diabetes need to constantly check their blood sugar levels and receive insulin shots daily. With this information, the caregiver can then structure a schedule to ensure all doctor's instructions are followed consistently. The home care service is also available for heart disease, high blood pressure, and Alzheimer's disease.
Similarly, home health care services are available if your parent uses a wheelchair for movement. The caregiver’s service is important because they provide support, particularly in accessing areas where your parents may find it difficult to navigate alone.
Apart from caring for ailing elderly parents, home health care services can help your loved one regain their independence and mobility by administering different forms of therapy. Aging parents may be at a higher risk of suffering from strokes, respiratory complications, and other conditions. These health problems cause additional complexities that could deteriorate the person’s ability to walk and speak. To counter these conditions and promote recovery, the following forms of therapy are available:
- Physiotherapy for parents who suffered from an accident or a stroke
- Therapy for respiratory recovery, especially after facing conditions like Pneumonia, COVID-19, and Tuberculosis
- Speech therapy
- Memory stimulation therapy for Alzheimer's disease patients
Although full recovery may not be assured for the aging parent, entrusting a home health care professional to look after your loved one is beneficial.
Hospice Care Services
For some aging parents, battling with terminal illnesses may be physically and emotionally overwhelming. The worry and sadness of losing your loved one may take a toll on you, limiting your ability to provide the quality of care they require. Therefore, hospice care services are a great option for families facing hardships from their aging parent's condition.
The professional care providers are available to make home calls for patients living with terminal conditions to provide the necessary support. Furthermore, you can always switch the home care plan to full-time hospitalization, especially when the parent's condition alleviates.
While receiving hospice care services, your loved one will find comfort and peace by receiving important medical care, emotional and spiritual support. Further, they can choose to be included in the hospice care group to interact with other patients receiving care.
The social aspect of hospice home care is a significant part of their value because the aging parent requires a support system. However, the new conditions imposed by the ongoing pandemic may limit the parent’s access to physical and social interactions to avoid health risks. Nonetheless, online platforms are available for exploration to help them gain the full benefits of a hospice home care experience.
Nursing Registry Services
Alternative options involving nurse registries are also available for families looking into home care services for the elderly. Under this service structure, you will need to contact a nursing registry that provides healthcare services for elderly persons. They will then require some information to help them find a suitable nurse to provide care services for your parent.
Thus, you should have all the necessary details available when visiting their website or offices. They include:
- Your parent's name
- Their physical address and phone number
- The type of medical condition they live with
- The aim of requesting home care services
- Special requests to make, if any
Although nurse or healthcare registries are efficient in matching you with suitable nurses, you should note that you will take on multiple responsibilities. These duties relate to the nurse's work operations, their payments, taxation, and the nurse's qualifications.
You will need to oversee these operations for as long as treatment is ongoing, so you want to create an elaborate working system. Among the organizational structures to set include working schedules, payment dates, and insurance to cater to worker's compensation claims.
Additionally, checking if the assigned nurse is well trained to provide care is your responsibility. Subsequently, you can consult a medical specialist to obtain a list of requirements to gauge the nurse's competence. Alternatively, you may request the person to undergo an authorized probation period where you can make a comparative assessment of their skill set.
Private Duty Full Services
While most home care services are designed to provide health support, some aging persons only require companionship and assistance in domestic activities. If your aging parent's needs are similar to this description, you may consider requesting a full-service private duty caregiver.
The assigned personnel will focus on creating the best living atmosphere possible for your loved one by providing company and taking on household duties. Based on this service structure, your loved one can relax more and focus on activities that restore their well-being, like physical exercise.
Moreover, having a live person to interact with is therapeutic for anyone, including your elderly parent. With the company that comes with a full-service private duty caregiver, you do not have to worry about your parents feeling lonely throughout. This is a good option for families with children working in different countries, as they may not have an opportunity to meet often.
If your parent requires extra support to bathe, dress and feed, the professional caregiver will be ready to assist. Further, they can also facilitate your loved one's transportation to run errands by driving them to different locations. Since an aging person also requires to boost and maintain their immunity, you can request the caregiver to create a meal plan. This way, all served meals will provide the needed nutrients.
Thanks to all these services, your parent will be in a better position to continue living the best version of life possible. Additionally, you can visit them when the opportunity arises without worrying if they have been okay while you were away.
Community Care and Medicaid Home Services
Sometimes, financial constraints may limit your options when choosing a care plan for your loved one. Despite this, you can seek Medicaid home care services or apply for a community-based option for your parent's well-being. Among the various advantages of these two options is that your parent does not necessarily have any terminal illness.
However, the Medicaid home care providers have a list of requirements that each applicant must meet before being accepted into the care plan. The requirements serve to ensure that priority is given to persons in genuine need of home care support. Some important requirements to meet include:
- Receiving approval for service vouchers
- Making arrangements for specific service hours
- Appearing for an assessment conducted by a social worker assigned by the state
Once your loved one is accepted into the program, they will begin to receive the benefits of home-based care. In return, they will improve their life quality and experience a better sense of wellbeing overall.
Factors to Consider When Choosing a Home Care Plan
Since every family presents different sets of expectations for their loved one's care, you can refer to a list of factors. They will help you assess your parent's lifestyle and merge it with a suitable home care plan for the best services. Moreover, learning of the important factors to consider helps you avoid family hardships and financial constraints. Some crucial elements to consider are:
The Type of Support Available for your Elderly Parent
If your parent still has access to significant support systems from family and friends, you can settle on a part-time home care assistance program. This would be most effective where the family members work during the day but are available at night and on weekends. With the established system, care services can alternate between the two parties to promote cohesion.
Family Finances to be Used in the Home Care Service
Moreover, determining the finances available to receive home care services for your aging parent is an important step. With proper analysis, you can settle for an affordable home care option that will be consistently available for a long-term period. To obtain information regarding charges and other incurred service costs, contacting the caregiver company is ideal. This way, you receive first-hand information for proper planning.
The Type of Household Maintenance Required for Successful Services
Different persons require varying care services, including home maintenance. Therefore, families looking for a reliable home care service provider should inquire about the caregivers' ability to uphold the necessary household activities on top of providing personal care. For example, they should be ready to do shopping, meal plan preparations, cleaning, and assisting your loved one with physical exercise. Further, you can briefly assess the assigned caregiver based on the service requirements you set. This will ensure your loved one receives high-quality assistance.
What Type of Medical Conditions the Person Under Care Suffers From
Finally, you also want to consider the type of medical condition that your loved one lives with to structure an elaborate home care service. Additionally, disclosing the severity of the condition to the caregiver is advisable, as they will then determine the appropriate health care procedures to apply. These details are also helpful in creating a schedule to administer medication or assist with physiotherapy sessions.
Some medical conditions also require constant supervision to uphold the elderly person's well-being. For example, if they rely on an oxygen tank to keep breathing, the home care personnel should be cautious and diligent with handling the tank to avoid complications.
Benefits of Seeking a Home Care Service for Ageing Parents
Choosing a home-based care service for your aging parent is highly beneficial compared to other options. Some advantages include:
- Your loved one maintains the desired comfort level
- No drastic changes and movements from home
- You do not have to worry about your parent’s wellbeing
- Access to better life quality
- Flexible schedules are available
- Freedom to benefit from a range of home care services
Find a Home Care Service Near Me
Watching an elderly family member or loved one lose their ability to remain independent may be difficult. As a result, you want to provide the best care possible for the person to ensure that they remain comfortable throughout. Although multiple care solutions exist for use, providing home-based care services is the most beneficial option.
This is because the person under care remains in their home and can access the comfort and familiarity they are used to. Further, you do not have to worry about making drastic changes with home care support, like moving them out of their home. Making recurring payments in nursing homes may also take a toll on finances. To avoid unnecessary hardships, we recommend consulting a home care service provider.
At Mom's Home Care, we are dedicated to providing excellent home care services for all elderly persons. We have well-trained caregivers with medical and home care skills to cater to your loved one's needs, on top of providing companionship.
Moreover, understanding each client's personal preferences and working to satisfy them is a priority, to give the person under our care a great lifestyle throughout. The flexibility you receive by partnering with us is also beneficial as it allows you to set your terms. If you or a loved one requires home care services for elderly persons in Los Angeles, California, call us today at 323-244-4789.
