Six Things Families Wish They Knew About Home Care Assistance

Choosing home care assistance for an aging family member is a big decision. Families may worry about whether their seniors really need extra help or not. Some might even delay the decision, thinking that seniors should need a lot of help to make this the right choice. But once they finally make the move, many families find that professional caregivers make a huge difference for seniors, offering comfort, support, and independence that seniors need.

Help Protects Independence

A big fear, especially for seniors, is that having some help reduces their independence, especially in the long run. But they are often happy to discover that home care providers work to make sure that seniors can keep doing the things they love and want to do. This support allows seniors to age in place longer and move through their daily lives with confidence.

Families Don’t Need a Crisis to Get Help

Another common concern is that seniors need to have significant health issues or challenges in order to warrant help from elder care services. That’s not the case at all. Having gentle support early on in the decision to age in place makes routines easier for seniors and reduces the risk of accidents or other safety issues.

Support Fits Lifestyles and Preferences

Home care assistance is inherently flexible. Care plans are developed around the senior’s needs, preferences, routines, and comfort. Care might include assistance with bathing and grooming, help with meals, companionship, mobility support, or more. In the beginning, seniors might only need a little bit of help, but as health issues change and other needs increase, home care can ramp up to keep meeting those needs.

Families Need Strong Support Systems

Families want to make sure that the seniors they love are getting the care they need from the very beginning. Unfortunately, this sometimes means that family caregivers run themselves ragged for far too long. Families need strong support systems to help them manage caregiving duties and to allow them to take time away. Home care assistance can become a strong pillar in the support system for the entire family.

Home Care Assistance Eases Stress

Before getting some extra help, family caregivers often feel stretched thin. They balance caregiving with all sorts of other responsibilities, and caregiving gradually demands more and more from them. Stress builds slowly until they feel overwhelmed. Home care assistance allows family caregivers to rest and recharge, which is a huge relief.

Home Care Isn’t a Sign of Failure

Family caregivers also might hesitate to bring in home care assistance because they feel like they should be able to keep up on their own. But needing help isn’t a sign that families have failed. That often isn’t realistic, which is a lesson that families learn when they finally do get some help. Getting assistance sooner can save families a great deal of angst.

Home care assistance can solve so many problems for families, even from the very beginning of the home care journey. Learning more about what this type of care is all about makes the decision easier.

If you or an aging loved one are considering home care assistance in Upper West Side, NY, please contact the caring staff at Touching Hearts at Home – Manhattan, Brooklyn, Westchester, Queens, Rockland today. 646-480-6266