Signs that Your Senior Needs In-Home Care

By Jessica Ott | June 4, 2020 |

Improvements are being made in homecare for seniors, making it much easier for your loved one to remain in their own home as aging continues. Many of these improvements include the types of care that are offered, the amount of care being offered, the time that caregivers can spend with your loved ones, and much more.

Homecare Thomasville PA – Signs that Your Senior Needs In-Home Care

Access to qualified homecare workers can be a challenge, especially with the baby boomer population rising to the point that this service is needed more and more every day. Turnover in this industry tends to be at least 40%, while there is going to be more work for the companies that provide these caregivers with better pay and benefits. Knowing that it may be hard to keep the same homecare professional, it is hard to address those signs to know that your loved one needs care.

Changing Trends in Homecare

Traditionally, viewed as non-skilled care for transportation, companionship, or light housekeeping services, homecare has shifted in recent years. Launches of specialized care programs for heart failure, COPD, dementia, and other complex conditions help add to senior health and safety in order to keep them living at home. Specialized care programs are both profitable for their companies and beneficial for your loved ones. Your senior may not need 24-hour care provided by a community or assisted living, but support during the daytime hours can be helpful.

5 Signs that Your Senior Needs Homecare

Most commonly, you will see certain issues in forgetfulness and other changes in behavior that lead you to worry about your senior’s safety, especially if they live alone. Some of the overall issues that come in the wake of your loved one’s elder years may be the stress that they express in trying to manage the cleaning and maintenance of their home along with some of the basic cognitive functions that decline with age. All of this can make daily life difficult, and it could become important to have assistance in the home to make sure that everything is managed well.

Your senior shows signs of poor self-care and homecare – These are often the first things to diminish as your loved one starts to find difficulty in managing everyday life. Some of the simple tasks like cleaning, laundry, dishes, and others can leave their home unkempt, while they may also have trouble with bathing and grooming. So, everything overall starts to look dirty. With other issues like memory and such, there could be forgetting to pay bills, and other tasks, or even larger home maintenance. Homecare can help make sure that everything is managed.

Food issues for your senior – There are so many different challenges that your loved one may have with food, whether it is shopping, storing, cooking, or more. Sometimes it is simply remembering when to go to the store, to look at labels on food in the refrigerator, or simply to make something to eat. Nutrition can be a challenge when cognitive and memory issues come in, and home care can definitely help make sure that healthy meals are available on a regular basis.

Is your senior at risk for falls? – There could be anything from potential clutter around the home to a lacking of balance in the way your senior walks, poor strength, or other issues, and home care can help them with continued safety on a regular basis. It’s easy to worry that your loved one could fall and not be able to access help. Homecare could be the peace of mind that you need for their safety all the time. Even if it is just a challenge with sitting and standing, homecare can help.

It may no longer be safe for your loved one to drive – If this is the case, whether it is due to eyesight, memory, or other problems, it could be time to have homecare on a regular basis simply to help your loved one with transportation to appointments or to run errands. It is helpful for safety along with remembering appointments when the memory may be an issue as well.

If your senior is missing their medication that can be a serious sign of need for homecare. This is something that cannot be forgotten safely and can be very dangerous for their health and safety. If this starts to happen, it may be important to find regular homecare right away.

There are different times that it could also be helpful to have short-term or part-time homecare for your loved one. Sometimes they could be recovering from an illness, injury, or surgery, and it could be helpful to have someone in the house with them to make sure that daily life is upheld and that they are cared for properly. Then, there is the issue of your loved one finding themself lonely or isolated upon living alone in a home that was once full of life. This could be an important time to find part-time homecare for increased companionship.

Sources: https://homehealthcarenews.com/2019/01/the-top-trends-in-home-care-for-2019%EF%BB%BF/
https://www.theseniorlist.com/blog/10-signs-your-parents-might-need-home-care/
https://health.usnews.com/health-care/patient-advice/articles/2019-01-30/the-challenge-of-senior-in-home-caregiving

If you or an aging loved one are considering Homecare Services in Thomasville PA, please talk to us. Our friendly staff can answer all of your questions. In-home Senior Care in Adams and York Counties, PA. Call Today: (717) 698-8258.

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Jessica Ott

Owner at A Helping Hand Home Care Services, LLC

Jessica Ott is the Owner at A Helping Hand Home Care Services, LLC.

A Helping Hand Home Care Services, LLC is dedicated to providing our clients with a better quality of life through our support services while maintaining their independence in the comfort of their own home.

As a Home Care Agency licensed by the Pennsylvania Department of Health, we can provide families with peace of mind, knowing their loved one is in good hands.

We will work with you to prepare a care plan that incorporates your needs, your wishes, and your preferred schedule. Each client is matched with a caregiver who can best meet their individual needs, whether they reside in a house, apartment, condominium, assisted living, or nursing community.