Why Your Senior Might Need 24-Hour Home Care
Your aging loved one is determined to “age in place,” meaning she wants to spend the rest of her days in her home. It’s a place where she finds comfort and familiarity and if possible, she’d like to be able to keep it as her final home. As her caregiver, you will be supporting her in her wish to remain at home, but it can be overwhelming. If you don’t live nearby, it can be almost impossible for you to help her with daily activities to make sure her quality of life is continuous.
24-Hour Home Care
One option you may consider is having a service that provides 24-hour home care. The main benefit of 24-hour home care is that someone will be home with your loved one at all times. Unlike live-in care, that person will be awake and ready to step in as needed, no matter the hour of the day. Most 24-hour home care services will set your loved one up with a rotation of providers who either work 12 or 8-hour shifts and come to your home to help your loved one with the tasks and responsibilities that she may have trouble managing on her own.
During the day, a 24-hour home care provider can help with daily tasks that ensure your loved one can participate in all of her desired activities. They may help with cleaning around the home, making meals, or transportation. If your loved one needs to visit her doctor or attend a session somewhere, your 24-hour home care provider can make sure she doesn’t forget about it and then drive her to and from any needed appointments.
Staying Active
The 24-hour home care provider can also assist with keeping your loved one active during the day. She can bring your loved one to her local senior community center for social activities, or even go on a daily stroll right before sunset to enjoy the fresh air.
Nutrition
Making sure your loved one eats well is another area your 24-hour home care provider can help with. They can assist in shopping for the right meals, preparing them, and then joining your loved one at mealtime to reduce those feelings of loneliness that eating alone can cause.
Nightly Assistance
At night, the 24-hour home care provider that stays with your loved one will stay up during the evening to watch the home and to be ready for any type of assistance your loved one may need. If your loved one needs help using the bathroom or getting in and out of bed, they can help. They’ll also be there if there are any emergencies and will be able to make sure your loved one can get the help she needs immediately.
The bonds a senior can make with her 24-hour home care team is just one more benefit you might find when looking for solutions to help your loved one stay living in her home. It’s an option that just might work for your loved one and your family.