Most Americans know very little about home care services, mostly because they don’t need to know about it. Not until somebody they care about is having difficulties at home. The majority of American families dismiss the notion of hiring a home care aide because they assume they can take care of this themselves.
An estimated 44 million Americans are acting as family caregivers right now (Forbes). They might be taking care of an aging parent or grandparent. They could be supporting a spouse while he or she recovers from a major medical crisis or injuries sustained in an accident. They might even be taking care of a disabled adult child.
Whatever the case may be, these Americans make one glaring mistake: they just don’t consider hiring caregivers.
Why is home care so important?
First, it’s all about the experience. When you hire a home care agency to help a loved one with their daily activities, their daily routines, and their daily lives, you get somebody with experience, somebody who has done this before with many other aging men and women.
There is simply no discounting the value that experience brings to the proverbial table. Many family members will discourage certain activities for their elderly parents, for example, because they worry about their safety. Yet, an experienced in-home care provider may often encourage certain activities, mostly because they know how to best support them and keep them safe during the process.
Second, it’s about quality of life as much as it is safety. When you’re talking about a loved one’s life, somebody who might be in their 70s, 80s, or 90s, you are worried about their life, their safety, their health. But what about quality of life?
If you have the choice right now to be bedridden or basically moving from the bed to a couch or recliner, watching TV all day, having few to no visitors, or being able to get up and do things you still want to do, even if you have to lean on someone for help, what would you prefer?
Most people would say they prefer quality of life. Why do you think that would be any different for somebody in their golden years of life? It’s usually not, but, sadly, for the most part, seniors don’t get that opportunity because family support systems don’t recognize just how important it is.
Third, it is about safety. You may not realize it but there are numerous potential hazards that surround you every single day. You barely pay them any attention, if at all. The same is true of seniors. But, if you are supporting a loved one and don’t even know about the potential hazards that surround you, how are you going to spot those that surround the senior?
Experienced home care providers know the common risk factors, where tripping hazards may exist, and how best to support them in their home.
Now, what about short and long-term senior home care?
A short-term senior home care provider is somebody who would be hired for a few days or a couple of weeks. They may even be hired for one or two months. This is optimal for somebody who is recovering from surgery, a major medical crisis that landed them in the hospital, or for some other health issue that is not expected to be chronic or to continue.
When it comes to long-term, this is for somebody who will need ongoing assistance for Activities of Daily Living beyond just a few weeks or a couple of months.
You don’t have to commit to long-term home care right away. You can help the senior realize its value by turning to short-term support first. Then, once they recognize the value of it, they may want to continue for the long term.
If you or an aging loved one are considering Home Care Services in Columbia PA please contact the caring staff at Extended Family Care Lancaster today. Call (717) 391-6363
Extended Family Care Lancaster is a Trusted Home Care Agency in Lancaster, Pennsylvania including Columbia, Elizabethtown, Ephrata, Hershey, Lebanon, Lititz, Manheim, New Holland, and Paradise.
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