When your parents need home care, what’s the best way to plan and arrange services? You want them to have all of the care they need, but you don’t know where to get started. Use these five steps to get started.
Talk to Your Mom and Dad’s Doctors
Have you asked your parents’ doctors about their care needs? If you’re allowed to ask them questions related to your parents’ health, find out what’s going on first. Once you know what health conditions they face or what they’re at risk of facing, ask what to look for in the future.
If you learn your mom has Alzheimer’s, her care needs will increase over the years. She may be okay now, but five years from now, she won’t be driving. She will eventually be unable to cook her meals. She’ll need someone to guide her through her daily routines.
Your dad’s okay, but he lives alone. He doesn’t have friends or family in the area. Companionship services are essential to make sure he doesn’t ever feel lonely or isolated.
Hold a Family Discussion
Once you know what they may need now and in the future, talk to your brothers and sisters. Talk to your cousins and others who are close to the family. Can anyone help your parents out each week?
Your brother has a few hours he can spend on weekends helping with laundry. Your cousin can pick up groceries, deliver them, and put things away if you take care of the online order. That reduces the number of home care services that are needed.
Draft a Care Plan
As you discuss what care is needed and if anyone can help out, start creating a care plan. The care plan must meet your parents’ needs now. You can add and remove services as needed later. Focus on what is needed now.
Go Through Your Parents’ House for Safety Issues
You might want to ask a home care expert to do a home safety check. You can also find checklists online. Go over the checklist and look for issues within your parents’ home.
Things like grab bars in the bathroom, loose flooring, missing handrails, and inadequate lighting are all improvements you need to make. If your parents are going to age at home, you want their home to meet their needs when it comes to accessibility and safety.
Talk to a Specialist at a Local Agency
Once you have an idea of what your parents need for services, it’s time to talk to a home care expert. Take your list of questions and ask them. If you have additional questions, don’t be afraid to get more clarification from the specialist.
You’ll be able to talk about your mom and dad’s strengths, where they need help, and how often they need home care services. From there, you can make plans to have caregivers stop by. Call and get started.
If you are considering home care in Manhattan, NY, for an aging loved one, please contact the caring staff at Touching Hearts At Home of NYC today at 212-201-6139.
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