By: Arthur Cooper
Submitted: 2011-03-14 23:40:09 | Word Count: 664
Relocation is a traumatic event for seniors, which is why the first choice is always in-home health care. Though some situations require relocation, most needs for a senior can be met at home. With homecare your loved one is able to remain in familiar surroundings and in the comfort they are accustomed to. Homecare services can range from a few hours per day to round the clock 24-hour care. Even in situations where there are medical complexities, non-medical services combined with medical services provided by a registered nurse in coordination with a physician can provide all the help needed.
With today’s services it makes little sense to place someone in a nursing home or assisted living facility without exploring the options of homecare. Before services begin, a homecare professional can come to your home to do a care consultation and determine the exact needs during this consultation. Medical and non-medical recommendations on services will be made at this time along with recommendations on safety, such as grab-bars, medical alert buttons or other assistive technology. This consultation and the professional recommendations allow you to make an informed decision and can provide you with incredible insight to the possibilities of homecare.
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When considering home health care for the elderly, you need to be aware of caring for someone physically but about other aspects of care including emotional needs and environmental security. Families often need to navigate the challenges of caring for an elderly loved one at home. Often times the sudden need for care can leave families in turmoil and indecision. Caring for a family member can be meaningful but it can also put the family caregiver through an intense amount of stress.
Elderly Home Health Care may fall in the lap of the closest child or even the only child, but it doesn’t have to become a burden for that person’s to bear alone. It can help to take a step back, reevaluate the needs and get others involved in the discussion. These steps will help you with your homecare evaluation.
1) Understand the exact needs through a comprehensive care consultation or needs assessment. This should include an assessment of the physical, emotional and environmental needs.
2) Create a plan that meets the needs of the family member receiving care as well as the needs of the family caregiver.
3) Determine if the plan can be done with family or should involve a third party care provider. When bringing in third party care, compare providers based on quality of service and ability to provide required care.
While the need for a third party to provide assistance may be necessary, quality care can be achieved with a combination of direct care and healthcare technology. Today healthcare technology helps achieve a “presence” without having to be intrusive. Even a simple medical alert button can provide peace of mind that allows families to be involved without interfering. Combine a medical alert button with third party care that provides a few hours of help every day and families can find a happy medium between a loved one’s needs and family caregiver’s personal life.
Ongoing reassessment is important to reevaluate the needs. This allows adjustments to be made and can avoid unnecessary problems. A family’s first choice is to keep Mom or Dad living at home, and with the right combination of personal involvement, third party care and technology it’s easier today then ever before.
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