It wasn’t long ago when there was an overall presumption that when we grow older, we’ll naturally need to move into an assisted living facility or nursing home. There’s now an increased awareness that choosing home health care during the course of aging can be a feasible option. There is also additional knowledge since the pandemic began that aging at home is the desired and safest choice.
So, how do you decide if the benefits of home health care are possible for a senior you love? First, you’ll need to determine his/her level of functionality within these two areas:
- Activities of Daily Living: These include daily tasks like bathing/showering, getting dressed, getting out of and into a chair or bed, using the bathroom, walking, and eating.
- Instrumental Activities of Daily Living: These tasks include money management, cooking, shopping, housekeeping, taking medications properly, using the phone, and transportation.
If a loved one is challenged by any of these types of activities, home care can be extremely helpful in improving both safety and independence. Not just that, but choosing home health care from an established agency, like Inspired Home Care, offers a wide variety of other benefits, such as:
- An enhanced level of overall wellbeing comes from remaining in the senior’s environment of choice, where she or he is most accustomed.
- An in-home caregiver supplies the socialization that is so essential for emotional and physical health. Throughout the isolating months of the pandemic, the necessity for routine social contact became glaringly apparent.
- Home care services promote healing after a medical procedure or hospital stay, and reduce the risk for re-hospitalizations.
- Home care allows seniors and their loved ones to enjoy more high-quality time together. A caregiver who helps with daily chores and errands frees up family members from these tasks. And quite often, older adults feel more comfortable having personal care needs tended to by a care professional as opposed to a relative.
- Home care services are highly customized, based on each individual’s unique needs, routines, schedule, and requests.
- With the one-on-one care provided by an in-home caregiver, care is not shared with other residents as in a facility setting – meaning needs can be met immediately without waiting for a senior’s turn.
- A healthier lifestyle is attainable for older adults receiving care at home. Caregivers can prepare nutritious meals that are appealing, provide medication reminders, offer encouragement and motivation to remain physically active, and so much more.
- With transportation and accompaniment provided by the caregiver, an older adult can remain engaged in the community through outings to fun destinations, visits with friends, lunch dates, religious services and more.
At Inspired Home Care, we are honored to serve older adults throughout Barrington, Illinois, and the surrounding areas with the in-home care services that make life the best it can be throughout aging. Our caregivers are background checked, fully trained, and experienced in a variety of senior care needs at home. Email or call us any time at 847-787-7572 for a free in-home assessment and to learn more about our Barrington home care and the surrounding areas we serve.