Home Health Care for My Elder Parents

As people get older, they often need more help for day-to-day living. Families need to address this situation in a way that makes sense for them. You don’t want your parent to suffer, but you may not have the time to take care of your parent. Home health care is a viable option for many people.

Is It Time for Outside Help?

Some elderly people need help with basic things like keeping the house clean, running errands and remembering to take medicine. Others need more extensive help with bathing or using the toilet. In some cases, an adult child can take on the care of the parent, but if the child works or the parent need more than they can reasonably provide, it’s time to hire some help. This can also help avoid bad feelings between siblings when the care of the parent has started falling solely on one person’s shoulders.

Determining Needs

Think about what type of care your senior parent needs. Does your elderly loved one need someone round-the-clock? Is the senior in need for someone to do basic tasks or provide some companionship as well? Will you need someone to come in every day or just a few times a week? By asking yourself these questions, you’ll have a good idea of what to look for when you’re researching companies.

Finding a Quality Company

Research the companies in your area and the services they provide. Ask whether insurance can cover any of these services. Ideally, you want a company that does background checks on all of its workers, including making sure that the worker can legally work in the States. Look for a corporation that can provide you with references so that you can get a feel for the type of care your parent will receive. Finally, ask about the procedure for changing providers if there’s an issue. Even if the company itself is a good company, there’s always the possibility of a personality clash between the care provider at home care Phoenix and your senior.You want to know how this will be handled.

Setting Guidelines

Once you’ve chosen a company, know that the relationship will work best when you set clear guidelines regarding what’s expected. For example, when you tell the caregiver that you want her to perform “light housework,” you might have different ideas of what that entails. Rather than being vague, make a list of the exact things you want her to do, like dust shelves, wash the sheets and do the dishes.

It’s hard to leave your parent in the care of another person, but sometimes it’s the right choice. If you take the time to think about what you need and research the companies, though, you’ll feel a lot more confident that your parent is getting the care she needs.