As we age, certain needs take the back seat and others become more important. Seniors have certain health and wellness needs that their loved ones, who are mostly younger, may be unable to attend to due to their commitment to other aspects of their lives.
For these elderly loved ones, it is essential to get them the proper care and attention that they need to ensure that they live a healthy life. While considering the care services to give your loved ones, there may be different options that come to mind including Home care services. To ensure that you pick the best based on their specific needs, below are some of the things that you need to know.
What types of healthcare providers are available for my elderly loved one?
When planning on choosing the best home care service for your loved ones, the good news is that there are options to choose from, the bad news is that choosing from the options may be a hard task, especially if you are a novice with no understanding of what is offered and what your elderly loved ones stand to gain from the choice that you have made.
To simplify the selection process for you while also increasing your confidence level as you make the decision, below are the options that you have to choose from.
Home Health Care services
Sometimes, elderly loved ones are so used to their home that they do not want anything to detach them from it. In such a situation as this, relocating them out of the home and into a facility may complicate their lives and health. To prevent this, while guaranteeing that they are getting the needed care and attention, you may opt for the Home Health Care services.
Home health care services are one of the most flexible options that you can choose for your loved ones, especially if they choose to remain in their home. The caregiver, in this setting, comes into the home to administer the care services to your loved ones while making sure that they are participating in daily healthy activities.
With home health care services, you can rest assured that your loved ones will get the best whether they need care for just a few hours a day or they need around-the-clock care and attention.
By engaging a home health care agency, you will have the chance to choose a home health care provider that will come into the home to deliver these services. In some cases, you may request 24-hour service which means that the agency may split the hours into two or four with staff taking turns to ensure that your loved one is in good care. You can also opt for a live-in caregiver.
Assisted Living Facilities
If your loved one is comfortable with being relocated, then you can choose an assisted living facility that allows them access to other seniors thus giving them a chance to socialize more with people that they share the same or similar experiences.
At the assisted living facility, your loved one will be allocated a room where they will be attended to and checked upon when needed. As opposed to a home health care service, your loved one may be unable to enjoy the personalized care and attention of one caregiver with whom they have formed a bond.
In choosing an assisted living facility, you need to consider a number of factors including the facility and its amenities, access to healthcare services, security, number of staff on duty to prevent chances of abuse, and others.
if your loved one isn’t as independent as they were some years ago, the staff will handle all of their needs from personal hygiene to meal planning and preparation, to medication assistance, and more.
Nursing homes
There are generally two types of nursing homes depending on the specific needs of the client. There is the short-term nursing home and there is the long-term nursing home.
The short-term nursing home, as the name implies, is a facility that allows residents access to all of the amenities offered for a short period of time. This is perfect for seniors who are fresh out of surgery, those needing rehabilitative care, as well as those that are recovering from injuries or illnesses.
The long-term nursing homes, on the other hand, offer long-term care and attention to seniors who have failed to recover or those that require special attention and care that cannot be delivered by their loved ones. Usually, the short- and long-term nursing home facilities are always separated.
Choosing which is best for your elderly loved ones should be based on their health and wellness needs as well as the ability of the chosen facility to meet those needs.