10 Benefits of Home Health Care for Seniors
When thinking about whether or not you want to take advantage of home health care services near me to help your parents & grandparents lead healthier & more independent lives, then read this article to benefit home health care for seniors.
20% of Americans take care of their aging parents. This can be stressful for many families as they try to balance the needs of their aging parents and normal life.
Of course, we want the best for our family. And when it comes to long-term healthcare, we have to make hard decisions about what kind of care is needed to keep the best quality of life possible as their health declines. There is no place for negligent elderly care.
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No Place Like Home
Let’s be honest; there really is no place like home. If your elderly relative has lived in the same house for several years, chances are they don’t want to leave. Making a move into a new environment will most likely cause stress, frustration, and anger.
If there is a way to keep the patient home, they will be happier and more comfortable. Consider landline phones for seniors, which may also be an option, or check how to find a senior site around you?
Stay Independent
Allowing elderly patients to stay in their homes allows them the freedom they want. They aren’t forced to eat meals at a certain time or go to bed at a certain time. These are grown adults who want to maintain their independence.
Living aids such as grab rails in the bathroom, or ramps over stairs can turn their current home into a place where they can feel safe.
Allowing them to keep to their own schedules and lifestyle. If they need some extra help, a caregiver can always come at certain times of the day to help them get dressed in the morning or ready for bed at night.
Freedom for Family
Home health care professionals are there when you can’t be. As the family providing care for an elderly family member, you can have the peace of mind that someone will be checking on them daily. Providing care for an aging family member can be stressful. Using a care provider like Families Choice Home Care will give you the extra support needed.
The family will still be involved in every decision regarding the patient; they won’t have to physically be there to make sure they are taken care of. Home health care workers will do that for you.
Individualized Plan
No one knows your family’s needs better than you. This is why home health care professionals will work with you to develop the perfect plan for your elderly family member. Maybe they need some extra help with housework. Perhaps it’s just some of the more labor-intensive activities they need help with such bathing and getting dressed.
What about meals? Would meals a few times a week help maintain their independence? Whatever their individual needs are, your home health care provider should be able to develop the perfect plan.
One-on-One Care
In a hospital setting, your aging parent will be one of several patients that nurses are assigned to watch. When you have a home health care professional visit home, the elderly patient will get their undivided attention.
This allows more focus and attention on how that patient is feeling. They will be able to have conversations and examinations with no disruptions or distractions. This is important in maintaining the quality of care desired. One-on-one care helps establish meaningful and quality relationships. Relationships where the patient can have complete trust in their home care provider.
Safer
When it comes to patient care, hospitals are not always the safest place. A lot of falls actually happen either in the hospital or at an acute patient care center. An older adult is actually less likely to suffer a fall in their own home. Home care can actually reduce the likelihood of another hospital admission.
Besides taking a fall, medications can be mixed up in hospitals or living centers. One benefit of home health care is medication management. Home health care professionals will oversee medications. Making sure the proper dosage is being taken at the right times.
Do Therapy at Home
Often after a hospital stay, elderly patients are required to do physical or occupational therapy. If they live at home, the therapists can come to them and do their therapy sessions in their own living room.
Another benefit of having a therapist visit the home is assessing and determining any potential fall hazards or bathroom dangers. Then they can help arrange to get the proper safety measure in place.
Diet and Nutrition
It can be hard to make sure that your elderly loved ones are getting all the nutrition they need to stay as healthy as possible. Support for diet and nutrition is an important part of any home health care plan. Adults who are 65 and older and living with chronic conditions are less likely to be getting all the nutrients they need.
Add illness, bed rest, and injury in the mix, and it can be next to impossible to make sure they are eating enough. This is where home health care steps in and makes sure your family members are taken care of.
Be Monitored at Home
Did you know you can actually be monitored at home? Whether you need oxygen or have cardiac or respiratory needs, technology has made it possible to be monitored in the comfort of your own bed. It used to be that patients would need to stay in the hospital for a long time to be monitored. Now, instead of sitting in a hospital room all day, you can go home sooner.
More Affordable
Healthcare is expensive. That’s no surprise to anyone. But allowing your elderly family member to stay in their own home for as long as possible is much cheaper than an assisted living center. On average, skilled nursing home costs about $544/day, whereas a home health care company is about $100/visit. When looking at yearly costs, the home health care company will always be significantly lower.
Enjoy the Benefits of Home Health Care
When it comes to deciding what the best care for your loved one is, remember there are many benefits of home health care. We understand this is a tender and sensitive decision for any family to make. Still, when you consider the amount of personalized care and the more affordable options, you can’t go wrong with family home health care.
