How To Ensure Proper Care At Home for Elderly Family Members

Ensure you have proper care at home for elderly family members with these tips.

It can be a tough time in life when you realize your relationship with your parents is gradually reversing. Suddenly, you are not the son or daughter anymore, but the care provider. When your parents start to need assistance with simple tasks like cooking or cleaning, lose stability on their feet, or become forgetful or very tired, it can be a scary time in your life. You might think you have to consider care homes or that you need to move in with them and become a full-time carer. However, another option to explore is arranging consistent care services for parents, which can provide the necessary support while allowing them to maintain their independence at home. These services ensure that your parents receive the help they need regularly, giving you peace of mind and the opportunity to balance your responsibilities.

But it doesn’t need to be this way. With help from senior home care services, you can keep your parents at home, ensure their well-being, and maintain your existing relationship with them.

Elder Care At Home

Senior home health care is a great service for your elderly parents who want to continue to live in their own homes and keep their autonomy, but need some assistance. Keeping care at home is recommended when possible, as most seniors prefer a familiar environment when being assisted with personal hygiene, and this way they can retain a little more independence.

There are various ways at-home carers can assist you and your parents, and these are detailed below.

Personal Care

A home carer will visit your parents at home to provide whatever level of care they require. From one visit a day to help with showering, to around-the-clock total support. Carers help your parents in ways you shouldn’t have to, such as with personal care. They can help with washing, using the bathroom, applying creams, dressing, and other personal hygiene-related tasks. 

Carers have a duty of care and are trained in maintaining the dignity of the service user, so your parents will be well looked after, in a safe and respectful environment, and you can rest assured that they are clean and healthy without having to personally manage their hygiene needs.

Meal Prep and Housework

Another day-to-day task that becomes harder to manage with age is planning, preparing, and cooking nutritious meals. It can be tricky for some elderly people to prepare meals. Senior healthcare services, such as Nurse Next Door, can provide meal preparation for your parents, keeping them safe from the hazards of the kitchen and taking on the responsibility of managing proper nourishment. Moreover, your parents’ carer will clean up and put away all kitchen utensils and pots afterward. This ensures a clean, tidy, and manageable kitchen space.

Other light household tasks can also be completed by an at-home carer, such as changing bed sheets, dusting, vacuuming, cleaning, tidying around the house, laundry, and taking out the trash.

Transport and Accompaniment

If your parents are still able to go out into the community, care providers can offer transportation and accompaniment to appointments, shopping trips, fun activities, walks in the fresh air, or any other excursion your parents wish to take. This can be very reassuring for your elderly parents, as they have someone with them if they need assistance. Many senior people lose confidence in their ability to walk or drive in the community, but with a carer and transportation, they can regain some sense of independence and enjoyment from going out.

Companionship

On top of the more intimate care, a home carer will provide company for your parents. You have a life of your own; a family, work, maybe a long drive to see your parents, and understandably cannot be there all the time. A daily visit from a carer can brighten up your parents’ day. Especially if they don’t leave the house often or at all.

Loneliness in the elderly is a common and grave problem, but with regular visits from a carer, this can be combatted.

Medical Nursing At Home 

If your parents require attention from a nurse, they can rest assured they will have access to a fully-qualified professional. Most elderly people prefer to receive nursing care in their own homes. Mostly because it is a familiar, safer environment than a hospital. So, if your parent requires catheter care, medication, wound care, or other services provided by a nurse, this does not mean they need to leave the comfort of their own home.

However, choosing the right in-home nursing agency is essential to ensure your elderly parents are properly cared for. As a tip, seek recommendations from friends, coworkers, or neighbors. You can consult your elderly parents’ healthcare provider for a more informed decision. You should also ensure the nurse has the required licenses, certifications, and experience to meet your parents’ medical needs. It’s not uncommon for elderly people to sustain injuries due to their nursing provider’s neglect. You can seek the services of personal injury lawyers if this happens to your parents.