Senior Care News

Should Your Parents Have a Male or Female Home Care Provider?

Home Care Easton PA: If you were elderly and had needs that required you enter into a home care relationship, would you want for your care provider to be a man or a woman? Is this even something that you would have considered when it came to planning your care or to making your wishes regarding your care known? If you are like many people, the answer is likely no.

Home Care Easton PA

If you were elderly and had needs that required you enter into a home care relationship, would you want for your care provider to be a man or a woman? Is this even something that you would have considered when it came to planning your care or to making your wishes regarding your care known? If you are like many people, the answer is likely no. Despite the impact that this choice can make on the quality of a care journey, many people do not even make whether the care provider is a male or female part of their initial planning for their care or the care for their elderly loved ones. If you are considering hiring an in home care services provider for your elderly loved ones, this may be something that you will want to think about as part of your efforts to select the care provider who is right for your seniors.

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, approximately 40 percent of family caregivers today are men. While this means that more men than ever are stepping into the role of caring for loved ones such as parents and grandparents, it also means that more people than ever are accepting men in professional care provider roles, so even more men are filling these positions. This gives you the opportunity to truly consider whether a male or female home care provider might be the right choice for your seniors.

When trying to determine whether a male or female care provider might be right for your aging parents, some things that you should keep in mind include:

• Who is receiving care. The first thing to consider is which of your parents is actually receiving the care. This is a simple consideration if you only have one parent in the home, but if both of your parents are there, consider which parent needs the bulk of the care or if both parents require the same level of care. This can help you to determine whether a male or female care provider is more appropriate. For example, if your mother is the only parent receiving care, or the one who is receiving the majority of care, a female care provider may be more appropriate.
• Their comfort. The most important consideration is your parents’ comfort level. Talk to both of them about whether they would prefer a male or female care provider and have an honest conversation about their feelings regarding this issue. You might be surprised to find out that each of them may not be as worried about their own needs as the needs of their partner. For example, your father might not feel comfortable with a male care provider caring for your mother.
• Consider personal needs. If your parents are open to either sex, consider their personal needs and how whether the care provider is a male or female could impact these needs. For example, f your loved ones are of larger size and need a considerable amount of hands-on care, such as transferring, mobility assistance, and bathing assistance, a male might be a better choice.

If you are considering home care services in Easton, PA, contact the caring staff at Extended Family Care of Allentown. Call today at (610)200-6097.

http://www.caregiving.org/data/Caregiving_in_the_US_2009_full_report.pdf

Stephen Sternbach

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