People age. People find their health and abilities are not what they used to be. Adult children may find their aging parents are struggling with the everyday tasks of life. An accident or injury may now prevent a once healthy person from dealing with the daily things we do all the time. All of these scenarios are a time when using a home care agency makes sense.
A home care agency is a service provider who can help you or a loved one out with the everyday tasks of living that may be difficult due to age, loss of mobility, or declining health. You need to look at all options before deciding to place someone in assisted living or a nursing facility.
Why Go with an Agency?
Here are five reasons why you should use a home care agency:
1. Help without restrictions on the client
Most people do not like the thought of going into an assisted living facility or a nursing home because it would place restrictions on their lives that are not there now. By bringing in a care agency, the client can keep up their normal life. They would have no more restrictions than they had before the caregiver begins visits.
The only difference is that the caregiver is there to help with the parts of life that are not so easy any more. This can include light housekeeping, personal care, and running errands, among other things. The beauty of this situation is as the client’s situation changes the services provided by the caregiver can change as well. With the right agency, you do not need to shop for another agency.
2. Increase the comfort of the client
People like to be in their own homes. Being in a strange place like a nursing home can stress people out. With a care agency involved, the client does not leave their homes. They can stay in their own environment which increases their comfort levels. This lowers stress levels and keeps people happier in the long run. Being able to sleep in their own bed can make a major difference in how well client sleep. Having a familiar recliner to sit on is another familiar item that comforts someone dealing with declining health and/or mobility.
Having a single caregiver team creates a familiarity that also brings comfort to the client.
3. Give clients control over their care
Loss of control is a significant factor in people’s reactions to nursing homes or assisted living facilities. With a care agency, the client retains control over their care. They can ask for help with the areas of life that are becoming harder. They can control when the aides visit. They stay in their homes and keep their privacy and dignity in the process.
Clients also have control in who is providing their care. Not every caregiver is a match for a client. Personality conflicts can make the client uncomfortable. If there is a conflict, the client can ask for a new caregiver from the agency.
4. Improves healing and health
Studies have actually shown that those who recover from surgery or injury at home have a better outcome than those who go to nursing facilities. This has to do with lower stress levels and higher levels of comfort. Using in-home help can make this happen.
Bringing in someone from a home care agency can help older people in good health stay healthy long-term. This can delay or prevent the need for an older person to transition to an assisted living facility or a nursing home.
5. Removes stress from the client and family members
Life is very different now than 50 years ago. Most families have all the adults working. The kids are in school. Life revolves around a slew of activities. Caring for an elderly member of the family is sometimes difficult while maintaining professional and personal obligations. Another reason is that the older person does not want to be a burden and may delay telling their loved ones they need extra help.
Bringing in help can relieve the stress on both the client and their family. The family knows the senior has someone helping them and monitoring the situation. The client does not need to depend on their family and feel as if they are becoming a burden.
A home care agency is the perfect solution to caring for someone who needs a bit of help at home. The caregivers can come in as often as needed to help with light housekeeping, personal care, and running errands. As the needs of the client grows, the caregivers can step up the services provided. It offers a solution that does not require the client to go into an assisted living facility or into a nursing home.