In many families, elderly parents and their adult children live far apart because somebody has moved away. The senior citizens may have decided to retire somewhere else or the adult children may have moved for a job or a new adventure. Sometimes the parents eventually need assistance so they can continue living at home, but their children and grandchildren aren’t nearby. An agency providing various services in senior care can help.
Daily Living Tasks
In many cases, the type of elder care these older men and women need isn’t medical. Instead, they need help with daily living tasks because they have a certain level of disability. The in-home assistant may cook meals and do light housekeeping for the clients. The assistant can run errands and even take clients out and about if they are well enough. The elderly person may appreciate having someone provide a ride to appointments, church and social events that he or she could not otherwise attend.
Certain health problems can make all of these tasks difficult for someone to accomplish without help. Various autoimmune disorders, for example, cause chronic weakness, pain and problems with balance. The person may be able to continue living at home but may have to give up driving and climbing stairs.
Personal Hygiene
Employees of these agencies are commonly referred to as home health care workers, although they aren’t providing any level of nursing care. However, the workers may be nursing assistants, having been trained in helping people with bathing and other requirements for personal hygiene. They may help clients with getting to the bathroom.
Living Independently
These services are offered in assisted living communities, but many seniors prefer to continue living in the home they have resided in for a long time. Sometimes this can be achieved with regular help from family members, but that’s not always possible.
Elderly individuals typically have the goal of living independently for their entire lifetime, or at least as long as possible. With assistance through an in-home care organization, they are happy to discover this is still an option. Although they may feel a little embarrassed or uncomfortable at first about requiring help with bathing and hygiene, they become accustomed to the service and may even take the attitude that this is a bit of pampering.
Eventually, these individuals may need skilled nursing care provided by home health agencies. In the meantime, however, they benefit from the companionship of workers from an agency like Visiting Angels.
in-home care 