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Deciding if Care at Home is Right For Your Loved One

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care at home

Making decisions about an elderly loved one can be difficult.

There often comes a time when we must decide if our loved one might need a little extra care at home. One of the last things that we want is to take away our aging loved one’s independence. (S)he seems to be getting along fine on his/her own but you worry. So how do you decide if care at home is the right choice?

Here are a few questions you should ask yourself when making that decision:

Is your loved one getting all the care he/she needs when they need it?

Oftentimes, it is neccessary for an elderly person to be on a specific diet or certain medications. If you find that mom or dad is becoming forgetful when it comes to meeting specific criteria in his/her life it might be time to think about in-home care. A professional home care expert will make sure to remind your loved one to take any necessary medication and make sure he/she adheres to any diet restrictions.

Is housework becoming too difficult to handle?

If your loved ones’ home has turned from neat-as-a-pin to just falling short of a pig pen, it might be time to consider home care. An aging adult may find it more difficult to keep up with housework. There’s nothing worse than an aging loved one being too embarassed to have visitors because he/she can no longer keep up with household chores. An experienced home care expert can help bring pride back to your loved one and his/her home.

Are you worried when you are away from your loved one?

If you find yourself worrying about your loved one while you are away it may be time to consider care at home. Nobody can tend to someone 24 hours a day. It is exhausting and unrealistic. As the adult child, your life must go on and there’s a good chance that you have other responsibilities. If you have a job or a family of your own there’s a good chance that finding the time to check on mom or dad is challenging. Do you worry that your loved one is hindered with forgetfulness or has limited physical capabilities? If so, it is time to consider care at home.

Making decisions about an elderly loved one can be difficult. If you are faced with tough decisions about your aging loved one we can help ease your mind. To talk more about this, or anything else, please Contact Us.

Senior Care at Home: Think About the Stairs

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senior care at home

Often household injuries occur due to a fall down the stairs. A small slip can result in a broken bone especially for a senior. Many seniors want to stay in their own home so it is necessary for loved ones to make the environment as safe as possible. Since it is typically not possible to remove stairs from an existing home and install ramps here are some other tips to increase safety of stairs.

Railings

Verify existing railings are securely installed. When pulled on they should not wiggle at all. If railings do not exist it is strongly recommended they be installed. It is best to install railings on both sides of the stairs. Also, verify your loved one uses the railings when going up and down the stairs. Use of railings significantly decreases the risk of falls.

Clear Clutter

Items left on the stairs are a tripping hazard. Nothing should be left on the stairs at any point. If your loved on likes to put items on the stairs that need to be brought to another floor consider placing an empty basket adjacent to the stairs where they can accumulate items to transport. The key is to not put the basket actually on the stairs but instead adjacent.

Lighting

Stairs need to be well-lit. Sometimes this is an issue with stairs leading to the basement. Consider installing higher wattage bulbs over staircases or add reflective tape to the edge of the steps.

Duplicate Items

It is best for your loved on to walk up and down the stairs without trying to carry items at the same time. This will allow them to have free hands to hold onto the railing. Ask what type of items they typically find they need to carry up and down the stairs. If possible buy duplicates of these items so they have one upstairs and one downstairs eliminating the need to transport the item. For example, if they are carrying a water cup upstairs consider purchasing disposable cups to keep upstairs.

Senior Care at Home

Taking the above steps will help lower the likelihood of a fall. However, you may still worry that your loved one is no longer stable enough to traverse the stairs. This does not mean you need to move your loved one. Instead consider the option of senior care at home. A home care aide can help with light housework, meal planning and preparation, medication reminders and provide companionship for your loved one. In addition a safety assessment can be conducted of the home to identify areas of improvement that will help reduce the risk of injury. Endeavor Home Care offers senior home care in Phoenix and throughout the surrounding areas. For more information about at home care, contact us at 480-498-2324.

Consumers in Tucson, AZ overwhelmingly prefer home care delivered services to institutional care.

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Home care in Tucson, AZ is more often preferred because it:

• keeps families together

• supports independence

• is significantly less expensive and more efficient than other forms of long term care

• prevents or postpones institutionalization

• involves the individual and family in services that are delivered

• represents the best American tradition

Home care is both the oldest and newest form of health care. Traditionally given at home throughout the centuries, home care now is taking advantage of modern technologies, making virtually anything that can be done in a hospital available at home. Home care is the most cost effective and satisfying type of health service available.

Life Expectancy Increasing

Life expectancy is increasing in the United States, and the Baby Boom generation is poised between midlife and old age. Increasingly, chronic disease management is becoming the most common of health concerns, rather than acute illness.

Hospital Stays are Shorter

With hospital stays becoming shorter, same-day surgery increasing and nursing home care shifting to focus on rehabilitative care, the trend to access home care continues to grow.

Here are some reasons why home care services will continue to be in demand:

• Home care is delivered at home. Home is our refuge and the place where we feel safe and secure. When we are not feeling well, the comforts of home and being surrounded by loved ones makes a difference.

• Home care keeps families together. Patient and family are taught to participate in their health care. Home care by definition involves the family as caregivers. Supporting patient and family is especially important in the time of illness.

• Home care promotes healing. There is much scientific evidence that patients heal more quickly at home.

• Home care prevents or postpones institutionalization. No one wants to move to a nursing home unless that is the only place where total, 24-hour care can be obtained.

• Home care helps people remain independent. People from birth to old age may have a health condition requiring care. Home care’s clinical and supportive services can make the difference to achieve staying in one’s home.

• Home care is personalized. Home care is tailored to meet the needs of the individual client. It is delivered one-to-one.

• Home care reduces stress. Unlike most forms of health care, which can increase anxiety and stress, home care has the opposite effect.

• Home care is an efficient form of health care. This is because it is personalized, it uses the patient’s own home, instructs the patient, enlists the patient’s family as caregivers, cuts down on travel to hospitals and minimizes hospital stays.

• Home care is less expensive that other forms of care. Evidence from studies in the U.S. and Canada demonstrate that home care is always less expensive than hospitalizations and almost always less costly than comparable nursing home care.

• Home care is an effective form of health care. There is very high consumer satisfaction associated with care delivered in the home.

Health care has been traditionally given in the home setting for generations. With technology developing services that can be offered in the home—along with the compassionate and competent professionals who deliver home care—the future looks bright for increased service delivery. Consumers will continue to demand home care services as a convenient, and cost-effective, form of health care.

If you or a loved one are considering home care services in Tucson please contact us through our web form or by calling us to speak with one of our caring staff members. We look forward to answering your home care questions.

When researching options for elder care agencies in Tucson, AZ Home care counselors at Home Helpers are available to talk with you about your in-home care needs including how to reduce caregiver stress while providing better, affordable care. We are an elder care agency providing Home care in Tucson, AZ