You may see small signs that their age is catching up to them as they age. Your mom may have once cleaned her house religiously, but is now struggling to do the chores. Maybe your father forgets to pay the bills, turn off the lights or oven.
If your parents:
- Sleep excessively
- Mail is not being collected
- Don’t forget to remove the trash
- Neglecting hygiene and grooming
- Schedule or neglect basic household repairs
- Driving despite being lost in familiar areas
- You used to pay your bills on time, but you are forgetting it more and more
- Show complete lack of enthusiasm for basic household chores
- You may not be able to cook, you might miss meals or throw out expired food
- They are more likely to fall, be unsteady, or have difficulty using the stairs
- You may be less interested in visiting family and friends or you may find it difficult to leave your home or do errands.
- You may not know how to respond in an emergency or forget to turn off your stove.
- You may be called by someone who has forgotten to take their medication, missed doses, accidentally overdosed, or asked which prescription to take.
10 Benefits of Hiring a Professional Caregiver
Hiring a Personal Assistant can help your parents maintain their independence and improve their quality of life. Many seniors are afraid of losing their independence because of age-related problems such as balance issues, mobility loss and other health conditions. Many professionals are qualified to help your parent live comfortably at home. They can assist with tasks like:
- Food preparation and cooking
- Reminders for appointments and medications
- Other household chores such as laundry, dishes or cleaning
- Transport assistance and running errands
- Personal care: bathing, dressing, toileting and other personal hygiene
Some home health professionals also provide medical care.
- Wound Care
- Monitor vital signs and health conditions
- Administering medication and injections
Even if you’re the primary caregiver for your family or rarely receive outside assistance, having someone else to assist with these tasks – even a few hour a week – will improve life quality. Here are some of the benefits that come with hiring a professional caretaker.
1. A personal care assistant provides companionship
Companionship plays a vital role in home care. A doctor’s visit or a visit by a home healthcare nurse could be the only face-to-face interaction they get.
In the United States, too many seniors live alone. When they are unable to get around, have lost their driving privileges or have no family and friends near them, this can cause them to feel more isolated.
Social isolation can cause depression and cognitive decline. Regular social interaction can help to minimize or prevent these symptoms. Companion caregivers are able to help older adults engage in more activities, including:
- Enjoying coffee
- Seeing movies
- Walking tours
- Gardening
- Music is a great way to relax and unwind.
2. The Personal Care Assistant Promotes Independence
It can be difficult to talk with your parents about quitting driving.If your parents’ driving is a danger to them or others, then you may not have much choice.
Giving up the keys is still a big deal. Lack of transportation can affect your parents’ ability to attend religious services, run errands or see friends. It also forces them to depend on others for a ride. This reinforces feelings of helplessness and burden.
Providing transportation can ease the feeling of loss of autonomy in your parent. This will also help your parent to attend scheduled medical appointments.
3. The Personal Care Assistant promotes dignity
A number of health conditions, including Parkinson’s and arthritis, can make it difficult for people to perform daily activities (ADLs), such as bathing or dressing themselves. Before the advent of home care, most people would have moved into a nursing facility in order to receive help with these basic necessities. Thanks to the increased availability of in-home care, more seniors are able to receive this same assistance in their own homes.
Losing the ability to take care of yourself can be devastating, just like losing your driving license. Personal care assistance, however, can boost your parent’s self-confidence and dignity. These professionals are also trained to perform these tasks safely and without causing harm to themselves or to your loved one.
4. The Personal Care Assistant monitors your parents’ health
Hiring a Personal Assistant can be a great way to ensure that a professional is monitoring your parents’ daily health. A second set of eyes can help you monitor your loved one’s physical, mental, and cognitive well-being when you are not there.
Home health professionals, such as RNs or LPNs, can give you insights about your parent’s health that may be missed by you. They can also detect unusual symptoms or changes in your parent’s health and help you to address them before the problem worsens.
Suppose, for example, that your mother’s body weight fluctuates frequently. Weight fluctuations in older adults are normal, but if they become too extreme or too small it can be cause for concern. A PCA may help to identify the underlying cause, such as gastric or swallowing issues.
5. A Personal Care Assistant Helps Family Caregivers
Do you need respite care, are you too busy to manage your responsibilities or do you feel stretched thin? Many family caregivers try to take care of their loved ones alone. Caregiving burnout can occur because of the stress and strain that comes with caring for aging parents while juggling school, work, home and other obligations.
Hiring a Personal Assistant can provide you with a break you need or specialized care that you might not be able to provide. They can help you catch up with other aspects of your life, even if they are only there for a few days or hours.
6. The Personal Care Assistant helps improve home safety
Care coordinators or geriatric managers can work with you to ensure your loved ones’ safety at home. A care coordinator or geriatric care manager can work with your family to improve the safety of your loved one at home. The caregiver of your loved one can also ensure that your parent locks doors and turns off lights, as well as the oven. If your loved one has an accident or an emergency, their caregiver will respond immediately and be there to provide care.
7. The Personal Care Assistant offers Reassurance
Caregiving can be emotionally, mentally, and physically draining, especially if you lack the necessary training or experience. You may begin to doubt your ability as a caregiver. You’re not alone if you feel this way.
You may feel that you cannot meet the needs of your loved ones or you may realize that you are unable to. It’s okay. Most family caregivers are full-time workers, and not everyone can provide care.
It doesn’t really matter whether you meet the needs of your loved ones or not. It’s important that they receive the support needed to maintain their dignity and life quality.
8. Personal care assistants are more affordable than facility care
The cost of long-term care is a burdensome expense for many families. Many facilities are unable to provide adequate care despite their high costs.
Studies show that seniors receiving home care following an injury or illness are more likely to recover and have a lower rate of hospital readmission than those who go into a facility. This is not only a financial benefit for you and your loved ones, but also a way to relieve hefty emotional burdens.
9. Flexible care is promoted by a personal assistant
You may need to provide care for your loved one 24 hours a day, or only a few hours if needed. A Personal Care Assistant is available to you and your loved ones whenever (and however!) needed.Caregiver’s take on many of the tasks you would normally do, allowing you to have more flexibility and time. Home care agencies can help you and your loved ones find the best caregiver for their needs, schedules, and other factors.
10. The Personal Care Assistant provides peace of mind
Hiring a Personal Assistant will give you peace of mind knowing that your parents’ daily needs are being met, even if you are not around. Ensuring your parents are safe and healthy is a great way to reduce stress.
All Home Health makes hiring a personal care assistant easy
You will also receive much-needed assistance by hiring a Personal Assistant. It’s impossible to be with your loved ones all the time, so having someone to help out can reduce your stress.
You don’t need to sacrifice your happiness and wellbeing.