As the population ages, seniors are looking for new approaches to health care.
Many seniors want to remain in their homes, and their families are looking for information about home care that would allow the seniors to stay in the homes they love.
The term home care alludes to well-being and social services offered by senior helpers at the homes of older persons who require part-time or full-time care.
Home care is a wonderful alternative to assisted living facilities or nursing homes, especially for a senior who wants to stay in his place but requires regular care that his relatives and companions can no longer give.
Many of these seniors may not be debilitated, but they need assistance with a few exercises to keep fit and flexible.
Other seniors may need helpers because of a gradual loss of ability to care for themselves, such as those seniors who are impaired or terminally ill.
Seniors who are recuperating from illness or injury may also need assistance.
There are five types of home care services.
Some home care organizations may only offer a couple of services while others offer more:
Homemaker Services refers to the help given to seniors in managing their homes; for example, light housekeeping, shopping for food and changing the bed and bathroom linens.
Individual Care Services are services that are offered to seniors who need assistance with personal care, such as showering, dressing, eating, toileting, and strolling.
Dinner Services are services that provide meal delivery services to seniors in their homes or in senior centers, schools, houses of worship and other organizations.
Home Health Care Services is a term used to refer to services given to seniors who have good issues that must be dealt with, but still allow seniors to remain in their homes.
Senior Helpers give seniors help with medical care, such as changing bandages and dressings, taking vital signs and helping with pharmaceuticals.
Professional Health Care Services are rehabilitative treatments and skilled nursing treatments that are given by authorized attendants, nurses, physical and occupational therapists, and speech-language pathologists.
Before you can build a comprehensive home care plan, several steps must be undertaken. First, have your senior’s physical and emotional health conditions evaluated by someone familiar with geriatric issues, such as their personal doctor, geriatric counselor or physician who specializes in aging.
Some of the issues that families may want to consider when thinking about senior helpers are:
Mobility: As the senior ages, he may have difficulty moving around his own particular house and other places he regularly visits, and may need assistance.
Vision: Many seniors have vision challenges. The difficulties may include blurred vision, dimming vision, or narrowing of vision.
Vision problems may lead to less social association, sadness, and lower personal satisfaction.
Since senior citizens generally don’t inform their doctors or pharmacists about their vision issues, a vision screening may be important.
Hearing: Many adults have problems with their hearing as they age, and this can have an impact on their personal well-being.
Portable hearing aids and cochlear implants are prescribed in treating fundamental hearing loss, while a more particular therapeutic treatment may be required for severe cases.
Mental stability: This is one part of your senior’s well that is exceptionally hard to evaluate.
There is a thin line isolating the memory issues that accompany aging and those that may signal dementia.
Seniors with memory loss issues not attributed to aging may have symptoms such as difficulty performing or finishing daily activities, being more confused with everyday tasks, and experiencing problems recalling recent events.
Depression is another health issue seniors face. Loss of desire, low vitality and having no enthusiasm for others can be because of various reasons.
A geriatric psychological evaluation may be done to give a clear diagnosis of a senior’s emotional stability and to know whether there is a need for home care or not.
With the right planning and evaluation, you and your senior will be able to remain in their home with senior helpers that will ease your mind, and allow him to remain in the comfort of familiar surroundings.
