7 kinds of Home Care for Your Needs – Independent Senior Assistance, Health Challenge Help, Recovery Care, Mutual Care, Alzheimer’s / Dementia Care, Hospice Care, and Pediatric Special Needs services
Aging is an individual process and how a family makes decisions is also unique. For that reason, there are many different types of home care available.
A recent national study found that nearly 90% of adults over age 50 – across all ages, race, income and health status categories – want to remain at home and “age in place”.
Caregiving decisions for you or a loved one can be very complex and there needs to flexibility built into any plans in order to adjust for changing conditions and needs. It helps to have knowledgeable experts explain the process while providing compassion and empathy.
The first step is often to speak with the potential care recipient and other family members to assess needs.
To start with, it helps to know there are multiple levels of care and types of assistance available.
Assistance for Independent Seniors
- The independent senior is still fairly mobile with a few aches and pains along with slowing mobility and deteriorating vision.
- They still are active visiting friends and family, taking trips, maybe even driving.
- However, after years of working at home or at an office, they wouldn’t mind some extra help with housework, cooking, shopping, organizing, chores, etc.
- They also may be a bit lonely if many of their friends or a spouse are no longer with them. At this point of their life, they need a companion to provide just that little extra assistance or a bit of cheer in their lives.
Health Challenges
The health challenged senior is still very sharp and involved with family and friends.
- However, it is getting difficult for them to go to the places they love or even to get around the house easily. They could use a friendly home health aide to help them walk, assist them with stairs, accompany them on excursions/shopping, help with housework and cooking, remind them to take their medications and maybe assist them with bathing and dressing.
- In addition to the home health aide, it is advisable to make the home safer and more senior friendly with handrails, moving daily items needed where they can be easily reached, be sure a phone is in easy reach, get rid of throw rugs and other things on the floor, etc.
Recovery Care
Sometimes, help is just needed temporarily after an illness or operation. At any stage of one’s life, a person may need a bit of assistance during an illness or recovering after surgery. The patient no longer wants to be in a hospital or rehabilitation center. They want to be at home surrounded by their belongings with a helping hand with daily living activities such as bathing, chores, cooking, dressing, etc. while they recuperate.
Mutual Care
In a relationship, partners often have different care needs. Many facilities cannot handle mutual cases and will separate spouses who have been together for decades. Since this is not usually good for either spouse, a better option is to stay in the family dwelling with the assistance of home health aide.
Alzheimer’s or Dementia Care
It is heart-breaking and difficult to take care of a loved one suffering from Alzheimer’s or Dementia at home. However, many patients do better at home in familiar surroundings. That’s why it is important to have a trained professional who can provide respite to other family members, who knows how to take control of a difficult situation and can provide compassionate care no matter what the circumstances.
Hospice Care
During the last days of one’s life, it is helpful to have a trained home health aide to provide care and comfort not only for the patient, but to assure the family that the patient will be moving on with dignity and peace in their own home.
Pediatric Special Needs Care
This care often begins soon after birth and can continue into early adulthood.
- The government tends to be very involved during the first years of life directing the care of the child.
- During preschool years, there is less government participation and the parents need to find ways to cope. When the child enters school, that institution gets involved with directing the care.
- Many parents need a respite during all of these stages and home care services by a specially trained pediatrics home health aide can be a lifesaver while busy parents balance other children, work and their life.
Now that you know the different types of home care assistance that are available you can be sure to ask for the best type that fits your needs.