Three Advantages Of Working With Home Health Care Services
With each day, the number of senior citizens in the United States increases. In fact, it’s believed that by 2060 Americans 65 and older will comprise nearly 24% of the total population. This isn’t a bad thing; one of the reasons why there is a growing population of senior citizens is that it’s easier for people to live longer than they did in the centuries past. With that being said, it does present something of a challenge in the long term. While those people may be living longer, that doesn’t mean that they’ll be able to work longer than they would otherwise. While many senior citizens can continue to work and remain completely lucid well into their old age, not everyone does. This is why a lot of young people are going to have to face what to do about their parents’ care.
There is a point, whether you have one or both parents living, at which you are probably going to have to confront the fact that they can’t take care of themselves anymore. Now, a lot of senior citizens do choose to move into retirement communities, wherein it’s often easier for them to get extra assistance when needed. But a lot of people living in retirement communities are much more independent than senior citizens whose adult children take the reins on the decision making. Therefore, when it comes to elder care, a lot of people find themselves deciding between nursing homes and home healthcare services. Home health care services would keep the parent or parents at their own house, and would essentially involve an in home caregiver either visiting frequently or living at the home with them, taking care of their regular needs and ensuring that they make it to doctors’ appointments. This can be a difficult decision, understandably, for anyone to make. Therefore, let’s look at some of the factors that might ease your worry over the idea of home health care services. There are plenty of advantages to hiring round the clock home care for your parent.
1. The Familiarity Of Home
Perhaps one of the most traumatic parts of moving into a nursing home is the sense of being uprooted and taken away from home. Whether your parent is moving to a nursing home due to physical issues or a lack of lucidity, or both, it’s not easy. If a person is lucid but physically frail, they’ll struggle with the limitations that come with moving to a nursing home, as well as the general associations that come with nursing homes. Those that suffer from dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, or other problems that affect their mental capacity will be even more confused when removed from their normal surroundings. By working with home health care services, you’ll be able to avoid these stress factors and keep your parent at home, in a place that they know. The care comes to them, rather than them being dragged out to the care.
2. Expertise
Home health care services allow your parent to be cared for by people you’ll know specifically. You’ll be able to approve the people working with your parents, while potentially anyone can work with them at a nursing home, as long as the home itself hires them. Furthermore, you can get to know them yourself, and feel much more comfortable. There are constant horror stories about elderly people being mistreated at nursing homes; an aide at home gives you much more control.
3. Emotional Support
Your parents aren’t the only ones who will need support during this time. If you aren’t comfortable with a nursing home and don’t hire a home aide, you’ll be left taking care of them yourself. This can be incredibly stressful and emotionally challenging, and may damage your relationship with your parent. An aide lets you keep some healthy distance in the relationship, and allows you to continue working as you had before. You shouldn’t feel guilty about using an aide’s services; it’s important for you to maintain your own life too.
Nothing about making these decisions is easy. But choosing an at home aide allows you to have control over the process, and maintain your parent’s happiness at the same time.
