Do your senior parents need a caregiver? How’s their quality of life? Do you think they are getting the most out of their lives? Or, you think maybe life is steadily getting harder for them.
In the US, the number of seniors who have come to need personal home care grew over the decades. And yet, it is still not so clear for some families to determine whether their senior parents need a home care provider. And that is understandable.
Hiring a Caregiver is a Crucial, Yet Intimidating, Decision
Hiring a caregiver is a big family decision. Many factors make it a difficult decision to make for a lot of families.
Professional Caregivers are Generally Costly
One of the biggest reasons why some families put off hiring a professional caregiver is the issue of cost. Hiring a personal caregiver for your senior parents can affect every member of the family.
According to a Cost of Care Survey conducted by Genworth, a family’s average monthly cost for senior home care revolves around $4,400. This figure is the national average. Depending on your area and your home care provider, the price may be lower or higher.
Some Families Don’t Know What Type of Care Their Elderly Needs
Some families are hesitant to hire a professional caregiver because they don’t know what type of care their elderly need.
There are two general kinds of in-home care services. There’s companion care, and there’s personal care.
Companion care covers the basic needs of the elderly. It covers light housekeeping, getting groceries, or meal preparation. Companion care tends to make life more comfortable for seniors.
Personal care, on the other hand, is a more intensive kind of care. It includes assistance with dressing, bathing, grooming, and other daily activities the seniors can’t perform independently.
Not knowing the distinction between these two general types of care makes families less inclined to hire caregivers. Thankfully, some home care companies offer free consultation services.
Seniors May Refuse to Accept Help from Caregivers
Another primary reason why some families don’t hire caregivers is that their elderly parents won’t even entertain the idea of having a personal caregiver. There are a few reasons why this is the case. The most prevalent of these are:
- Embarrassment over what type of care they’ll get
- The feeling of losing their independence
- Fear of letting strangers take care of them
- Dementia-related issues
Nevertheless, Look for the Signs
Though a caregiver is intimidating and challenging, it should not stop you from taking steps towards getting the best care for your family’s senior members. Sooner or later, you’re going to have to hire a caregiver to help your parents live a more fulfilled, robust, and comfortable life.
So, when does personal care becomes a necessity? Here are the signs you should look for.
Difficulty with Daily Tasks
It is not the most unmistakable sign to spot, but with enough observation, you should tell whether your elderly parents are struggling with daily, menial tasks such as dressing or bathing. If your parents admit to working with such activities, it is time to talk to them about considering getting professional help.
However, some seniors can get embarrassed over their inability to take care of themselves. In these cases, you should be able to spot signs of self-neglect. Any sign of decline, unexplained cuts, scrapes, or bruises can be a sign that your parents need professional help.
Loss of Strength and Mobility
Loss of strength and mobility is one of the biggest reasons why seniors need personal health care providers. One of a caregiver’s duties can be keeping your parents safe from falls and doing some of the housework for them.
Loss of strength and mobility is also often a sign of deteriorating health. Having a caregiver around to take care of your parents’ medication needs is a step towards keeping your parents healthy.
Requires Medical Attention Beyond Your Expertise
You may think that you can take care of the needs of your aged parents. But, the truth of the matter is, you’re not capable of providing the best care. Family caregivers are known to suffer burnouts, fatigues, anxiety, depression, and other physical or mental breakdowns.
Caregiving takes a toll. Over time, your health will also fail if you take caregiving responsibility for your elderly family for a long time. What you need is to hire a professional caregiver.
Professional caregivers are trained to handle the stress and responsibilities specific to caring for the elderly in their own homes. It does not have to be a permanent situation. You can opt for a more temporary type of care, called respite care.
Advice from a Health Care Professional
It is the clearest sign that your parent needs a personal caregiver. When a health care professional – a doctor or a nurse – doesn’t think that it is safe for your aged parents to live without a professional caregiver, they’re most probably correct.
Take the Initiative, Act Today! Hire a Caregiver
Here’s a tip that will benefit you in the long run: be on the lookout for these signs, and be ready for them. Don’t wait until these signs show up before you consider your options. Start today! Make sure that when the day your parents need professional help, they will get it immediately.
Anticipate these signs. Expect them to manifest themselves. And when they do, you should already be ready to help your parents by hiring a professional caregiver.
Are you looking for an affordable home care provider in Orange County, California? Infinite Love Homecare is your best bet.
We guarantee a quality, worry-free caregiving experience for your elderly loved ones. We provide you all forms of elderly home care services – respite care, personal and daily care, supervision and companionship, personal grooming, bathroom assistance – whatever you need!
Plus, we offer free consultations! Contact us at (949) 529-4130 / (949) 529- 0500 or visit our Contact Us page. For more info on the services we provide, visit our Services webpage.
References:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4270052/
https://www.genworth.com/aging-and-you/finances/cost-of-care.html
http://www.hcaoa.org/assets/1/27/Value_of_Home_Care___SECURED.pdf
https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/special-issues/seniors/dealing-dementia
https://www.helpguide.org/articles/stress/caregiver-stress-and-burnout.htm