In-home caregivers offer elderly individuals the security and independence to continue with their daily tasks, while offering family members peace of mind.
No matter if your loved one requires part-time help or round-the-clock assistance, there is an in home caregiver that meets their unique requirements. Selecting the right caregiver can be stressful but ensure you do your research and interview potential caregivers thoroughly before hiring one.
Personal Care
Personal care refers to any necessary assistance a person may require with their appearance, hygiene and movement. It can be temporary while they recover from an illness or injury or it could last throughout their entire life.
Home health aides, also referred to as personal care aides or caregivers, provide this type of care. They can assist your loved one with bathing, grooming, dressing, cooking meals, shopping for supplies and doing light housework.
They can execute a healthcare plan provided by your family physician, administer medication, change bandages and monitor glucose levels in your loved one. Furthermore, they assist in making appointments at the doctor’s office, grocery shopping for essentials or scheduling time off work to care for a family member.
When selecting an in home caregiver, it is essential that both you and your loved one feel comfortable with them. If an aide is not up to standard, speak directly to the agency manager and request another aide if possible; this will give your loved one peace of mind in their care while making both parties happier as well.
Medication Management
Medications are essential for relieving symptoms, promoting wellness and keeping people functioning at their best. When prescribed by a doctor, medications should be taken as directed and at the right doses appropriate to the patient’s condition and age.
Caregiver must possess an in-depth knowledge of medications, their effects and potential interactions. Furthermore, they must be able to effectively communicate with healthcare professionals about medication-related matters.
Medication management is a complex and time-consuming task, involving many physical and cognitive activities performed by caregivers. To effectively accomplish these duties, different tools and strategies must be employed according to each unique caregiving scenario.
Housekeeping
An in-home caregiver can offer light housekeeping services to seniors to keep their living space clean and safe. This may include vacuuming and dusting in bedrooms and living rooms, washing dishes before putting them away, tidying up the kitchen after dinner and sweeping or mopping floors.
One of the most critical elements when seeking caregiving services for your loved one is ensuring they receive assistance from a reliable and trustworthy individual. When interviewing prospective agencies, ask them for their qualifications such as how long they’ve been in business, their insurance coverage status and experience within caregiving.
In addition to cleaning the obvious home care tasks, a quality home care agency will offer various services that may benefit your senior. Some of these may be provided at no cost or for a low or no charge, while others require payment from either you or your senior.
Transportation
Transportation is often one of the biggest tasks faced by in home caregivers, particularly for elderly or ailing loved ones. According to statistics, 600,000 older adults give up driving each year – making it harder for them to get to doctor’s appointments, grocery stores and other essential places as well as visit family and attend social events.
Furthermore, non-driving transportation options may not be feasible or affordable for many older adults with medical conditions or physical limitations. That is why caregivers often provide transportation assistance to their care recipients by driving them themselves or helping them arrange for others to drive them.
In addition, some healthcare facilities provide free rides to patients who require help getting from home to the treatment location for doctor’s visits or other treatments. These services are usually offered based on availability and provide a great backup option for seniors who require transportation assistance.