What Are the Benefits of In Home Care?
As your parents get older, it may come time to consider the best living situation to address their changing care needs. Getting older comes with a variety of physical and mental challenges, as well as changes to one’s health. Often, the help of a caregiver is needed to address these challenges and maintain their health. For some seniors, moving into an assisted living community is the right choice to get the care they need in safe, well-monitored surroundings. However, many seniors prefer the comfort and familiarity of living at home, which can be a safe and affordable alternative to assisted living with the help of an in home care provider.
Comfort in Familiar Surroundings
Moving to a new home can be a jarring experience for seniors. Being able to remain in the comfortable, familiar surroundings of their longtime home can ease the transition into receiving senior care services. Plus, remaining at home can mean holding onto pets and cherished personal possessions, as there’s no need to downsize.
Ease of Family Visits
Assisted living communities may have limited hours for visitation, and it may feel awkward or uncomfortable visiting a loved one in these surroundings. With in home care to support your loved one living at home, you won’t have to worry about any restrictions on when and how long you can visit. Plus, you may enjoy more meaningful, pleasant visits since you’ll feel right at home in their home.
Ongoing Companionship
One of the biggest challenges for seniors living at home is limited social interaction and bonding with others. Having an in home caregiver will provide your loved one with meaningful companionship, which can reduce the symptoms of depression and even delay the progression of cognitive decline. Caregivers may also assist in transportation, allowing your loved one to attend social outings and maintain relationships with their friends and family members. Finally, in home care pairs your loved one with a consistent caregiver who they’ll get to know better over time. In assisted living facilities, there may be higher rates of staff turnover, so your loved one may not get a chance to bond with their caregivers in that environment.
Reduced Caregiver Stress
When seniors live at home, the burden of personal care often falls on their adult children or other immediate family members. However, serving as a caregiver while maintaining your own responsibilities can quickly lead to burnout and stress. With professional in home care, you can clear up time in your schedule so that you can focus on spending quality time with your loved one rather than focusing exclusively on managing medication, assisting with personal hygiene, and cleaning their house. Alternatively, if you are already taking on these tasks and wish to continue this role while receiving compensation to reduce the financial burden of caregiving, you can with New Outlook Home Care’s Care Connect Program.
Greater Independence for Seniors
Remaining at home affords a higher level of independence for seniors. While they may need some help with home maintenance, personal care, and nursing services, many seniors still want to maintain an active role in their own lives and have a greater sense of freedom and autonomy. By remaining at home, seniors can hold onto more of their independence.
Longer Life Expectancy
Seniors face a wide range of health risks, from falls to misusing medication to malnourishment to complications from chronic diseases. All of these health risks can be better addressed with an in home care provider who can assist with getting around the house safely, managing medications, grocery shopping and meal prep, and ongoing management of chronic illnesses. By mitigating common health risks, in home care can help seniors enjoy a longer life expectancy with more years spent feeling happy and healthy.
Customizable Care Services
One of the greatest advantages of in home care is that it is completely customizable to your loved one’s needs. While some older adults may need help with a wide range of personal care and nursing tasks, others may simply need a helping hand with a few household chores and trips to the grocery store. Your family’s in home care plan will be adapted to your unique needs, and it can be adjusted over time as your loved one’s needs change.
At New Outlook Home Care, we are working to set a new standard for home care in Medford and the surrounding areas. We will design a caregiving plan around your needs and goals, so you and your family can feel comfortable and confident in your in home care services. As a small, local business in Medford, we take pride in the personalized attention we deliver to every client. Contact us today to learn more about our elder care services.
