Deciding when to bring in home care for your loved one can be a tough decision and that’s why JANCARE Private Health Services educates our clients on how to go about the process.
What Does Home Care Provide?
Before you make your decision, it’s important to know what home care is. Home care is a non-medical service aimed at making the lives of seniors easier. It does not require a doctor’s prescription to obtain, so anyone who feels that they or their loved one’s needs assistance is able to get it.
Some of the services home care can provide assistance with include:
- Personal hygiene
- Transportation
- Meal preparation
- Medication reminders
- Shopping and Bill Payment
- Companionship
- Enforcing safety protocols such as Covid-19 prevention
Is Home Care the Same As Home Health Care?
Home care and home health care are similar but different. Home health care is a medical service that requires a prescription from a doctor to obtain. Home care doesn’t require a prescription and is for families who need assistance without a doctor’s order.
Home care can be brought in without a medical need in order to help seniors adjust in order to keep being able to live their daily lives. It is for anyone who needs a little extra assistance in their day to day routines.
Home health care, on the other hand, is for seniors who have a medical need. It is administered by a licensed nurse who can assist with things like providing medical tests and changing medications.
Signs That Your Loved One Is Ready for Home Care
It’s never easy to acknowledge that your elderly loved one might need care, so what signs do you look for to know that it’s time? These things are good markers that it’s time to bring in assistance:
- Their hygiene is slipping.
- Their eating habits have changed.
- They’ve had a decrease in activity.
- They aren’t cleaning their home as well as they used to.
- They’re having more accidents than usual.
- Bills are piling up.
It’s Also About You
Home care is not just to assist your elderly loved one. It is also to ease the strain on the caretaker — that’s you! When taking care of a loved one, it’s easy to forget to take care of yourself. It can start to take a toll on you.
With a home care assistant, you will have someone who can assist in the daily tasks that your loved one needs. A home care assistant will be able to help with household chores and transportation, lessening the burden on you.
Bringing in home care is never an easy decision and ultimately it will have to be your choice. If you’ve noticed your loved one’s daily care declining, it might be time to bring in home assistance. If you’re ready to take the next steps, contact JanCare to get started today.