Now that we’re in the middle of winter, chances are we are taking better care of our health. But some other people – like our frail aging seniors – need to take additional measures to protect their health.
This is why home health care services are experiencing rising demand.
And with good reason. Health is not something we can trifle with, especially in the case of the elderly. We can all agree they deserve a dignified and least problematic aging process.
Ready to read how you can offer it to them?
1. Financial Benefits
With any assisted living option, you wish for a convenient quality-price balance.
In this case, the first step is to have a look at the approximate 2020 monthly costs of care, according to a Genworth study:
- $4,124 – home care
- $1,618 – adult day care
- $7,989 – semi-private room in a nursing facility
As you can notice, adult day health care is the most financially convenient choice.
2. Full-On Care
If you have kids, you may remember how busy you got taking care of them that you forgot to attend to yourself. From small things, like skin care, to more important ones, like medical interventions, you may have become used to deferring your needs to other’s needs, unless it was quite urgent.
Our elderly loved ones and their caregivers may have similar experiences. Caring for self and meeting our many responsibilities turns into self neglect with negative outcomes on our health.
For our elderly loved ones, self neglect is amplified by health concerns such as memory loss, depression, self-isolating behavior, and other health challenges. Most frequent symptoms that occur are:
- meal skipping
- lack of interest for medicating themselves properly
- lack of interest for personal hygiene
- not providing necessities
- not performing household duties and payments
A home care aid could really change the lives of these people by helping them regain dignity and see their self-worth.
Home assistants are empathetic persons who really care for the well-being of those in their supervision. They can encourage the elders to pursue activities, hobbies or take part in social gatherings.
Home health care services provide valuable companionship which contributes significantly to improved self-esteem.
3. Ease of Access to Medical Care
Aged people need medical supervision, which in some cases can be vital. Home health care assistants are trained to provide nursing aid as well.
So, what you get is a combination of both worlds: a caretaker who possesses both social and medical skills.
4. Dietary Support
How many times have you wondered whether your parents are having nutritious meals when you’re not around?
If you really think about it, cooking is more of a social activity. So, elders living alone might lose interest in it if they don’t have someone else to share food with.
With a professional caregiver, you can rest assured your loved ones meet their proper nutritional needs. Good caregivers can help with cooking and meal preparation when needed and observe and report about changing eating habits.
5. Home Health Care Services Facilitate Medication Management
As is the case with your concerns regarding nutrition, medication management also the frail elderly.
Medication schedules can sometimes be so tight that even healthy individuals are challenged to comply with them.
A good home care service can help manage medications especially with reminders and verifying that the individual is taking their medications. This can certainly provide peace of mind for family members caring for their loved ones.
Home care services have an extra benefit. They’re performed in the senior’s home and community. It’s where they want to stay and live.
Do you have questions or need help, contact us at Skylark Senior Care for full insight into the specifics of our home health care services.