Aging in Place

The time may come when a family member needs senior care to remain in the home. This care is of great help to the individual who wants to retain his or her freedom but can leave family members concerned. They may not realize their parent is no longer able to do certain things or find it difficult to accept they are growing older and may not be around forever. Furthermore, family members often have a lot of questions about finding the right type of care. For example, what services can be obtained? An in-home care provider can be of help in this situation.

Aging in Place

People may not be familiar with this term but will easily understand the concept. It simply means allowing an individual to remain in his or her home as long as possible surrounded by memories and familiar things. Caregivers, however, might be needed to come in and help this person with daily tasks or getting the individual to the grocery store, medical appointments, and more. This one-on-one support ensures the needs of the client are met and the care is customized to meet his or her unique needs.

What Types of Services May Be Offered?

For some patients, help is needed with daily tasks, such as bathing and grooming, and many elder care agencies provide this service. Others may simply need a companion so they aren't isolated from society. Nevertheless, some people need more in-depth care and will require home health care. This will be someone in need of dementia care, a person requiring palliative care, or an individual who has recently been released from the hospital and needs assistance with changing bandages or dressings, monitoring medications for side effects and results, and more. Families must understand the difference between caregiver and home health agencies to determine which is needed for their loved one. However, there are times when both will be required.

Furthermore, when choosing a provider of this type, families must make certain the provider can meet the needs of the client in other ways. Can he or she come at a time convenient to the client? Do the personalities of the caregiver and patient mesh? These are other factors that must be taken into consideration during the decision making process. Take the time to compare multiple agencies to find the one that best meets the individual's needs. Doing so ensures aging in place is all he or she imagined it would be.