At Home Care Can Make Life More Comfortable

The decision to bring in help at home for an aging parent or loved one can be a difficult one. You want to make sure that the caregiver will be a good fit. Many seniors struggle to ask for help and don't want to spend the money for extra help. The grown children of elders may not have the time to help as much as they'd like, or they may be in a different part of the country. To make sure that your loved one gets help that protects their well-being and lowers their stress level, it's critically important that you review exactly what the caregiver will be doing, their schedule, and the needs of your loved one. Once that is completed, then at home care can be an excellent option instead.

Common Services Offered

A home care aide can be asked to cook, do light housework, assist with some personal care, provide some transportation, and provide friendship. For example, if your loved one is fairly independent, they may need help with

• Laundry
• Vacuuming/Sweeping
• Cleaning that involves leaning or working on the floor

A home care aide that comes in twice a week can help them stay on top of these activities and reduce the risk of a fall or an injury. Because the elderly person knows that the home care aide is coming, they can leave off certain tasks that are too challenging or risky to do on their own.

Reasons to Use At Home Care

One of the biggest benefits of a home care aide is the prevention of injury. For example, many elderly people have problems with balance. To avoid the risk of a tumble while carrying a laundry basket, bringing in help twice a week is a good investment. For an older person with a hand tremor, bringing in a caregiver who can do some food prep twice a week means that the elder can still enjoy fresh produce without risking a nasty cut.

Because a home care aide can help with transportation, your elderly loved one can get out and take care of the daily activities of living, including

• Trips to the doctor
• Shopping
• Visits with friends

Every home care aide will bring their own skills and personality to the job. With a good match, your elderly loved one can enjoy the friendship and company of a home care aide with whom they can enjoy connection and conversation.

Costs of At Home Care

You can expect to spend from $15 to $30 per hour for an at home care aide. While there are care aides who can be hired privately, your loved one will be safer if you hire a professional from an in-home care business. Not only will the aide receive the necessary training from their employer, but they will have insurance in the event that the aide is injured on the job.

With planning, you and your loved one can arrange to bring in a home care aide twice a week or more. For most elders, the housework, food prep and errands probably won't take more than four hours on each of those two days. Do your best to make sure that your loved one and their aide have time for conversation over a meal or coffee; part of the benefit of a home care aide is that there's someone in the home who can monitor your loved one for changes in their condition. A simple conversation can tell a lot.