Think of this scenario: Your dad’s eyesight is deteriorating steadily each day and he doesn’t seem to take care of himself like he should and doesn’t have someone to help him since your mom passed away. Laundry and dirty dishes are piling up and you’re not even sure if he is eating properly. You know he can’t live by himself anymore but you don’t want to take him to a nursing home or other long-term care facility. Home care is the right choice for him.
Home health care is a short-term option that allows a person to recover in the comforts of home while experiencing the benefits of skilled care. Apart from quality nursing care, home health aide agencies might include rehabilitation with respiratory, physical, occupational and speech therapists as well as monitoring health conditions like heart disease or diabetes, injections, and medical equipment assistance.
There are a lot of factors you should consider on whether you or your elderly family member should stay home or not.
Can you change his home (or yours) to fulfill his future medical needs like installing ramps instead of stairs? Is home close and accessible in case of an emergency? Does the house’s area require to drive around a lot? How long does it take to drive to medical appointments? Are family and friends close by?
If yours or his medical needs are demanding, it is a good idea to get professional home-based care. Having at-home care is hard for elderly people who can barely get out of their house. This prevents them from doing his favorites hobbies and meeting with friends and family. It may also put them at risk of depression and worsen their condition. You have to evaluate how medical issues are going to affect you or your senior relative, how impaired his mobility is, and how to handle these problems.
Something that you should also consider is the money. 24-hour home care is expensive but if it satisfies your current or future medical demands they will be worth the money. There are a lot of benefits for professional home-based care. Everything will be taken care of for you or your elderly relative. From housekeeping and laundry to healthcare management and bills.
Home health aide agencies provide personal care, which includes feeding, bathing, dressing, among other things. They also include medication reminders and blood pressure taking. If a nurse, social worker or occupational therapist is their home aide, health care is also to be expected. Absolute care & health are their top priority.
Transportation won’t be a problem for you or your elderly relative if he has someone who can drive him around. 24-hour home care should be picked for transportation at night (for emergencies or other situations) not be a problem. There are also day programs available in some home health aide agencies, which include keeping your senior relative occupied and entertained during the day.
At-home care requires a physician’s referral. This can be obtained by a physician calling the home health aide agency, the home health aide agency asking a referral from a physician on the client’s behalf, or as a part of a hospital discharge plan made by a physician for a patient. If after reading this, you decided to get at-home care for you or someone close I recommend you to read this article on some tips to choosing a reliable home care provider.