Does My Loved One Need Home-based Care?
Most older adults prefer home-based care to other assisted care because they can receive professional and compassionate care in their homes.
This form of care also guarantees quality of life when recovering from an illness or injury or managing a chronic illness.
However, many families and loved ones need help with enlisting the help of professional home-based caregivers.
On the one hand, the loved one prefers dealing with someone they’re familiar with, e.g. a family member.
On the other, family members notice their loved one needs help but aren’t certain whether home-based caregiving is the best way to go.
We explain what home-based care is, signs a loved one needs it, and the types of home-based care available at Go-care.
What is Home-based Care?
Home-based care is supportive care provided at home.
This form of assisted care allows a loved one to live independently while recovering from an illness, managing a chronic disease or special needs.
The individual receives support from professional caregivers like aides, nurses, and therapists at home. This arrangement could be short-term or long-term, depending on the individual’s needs.
Benefits of Home-based Care
Home-based care is critical to achieving the highest quality of life. Not only does your loved one receive care from the comfort of their homes, but they also enjoy safety and independence. This form of care also:
- Reduces unnecessary hospitalization
- Helps manage an ongoing medical condition
- Aids with recovery from an injury, illness, or hospital stay
Types of Home-based Care
Home care providers offer different types of home-based caregiving services. Our specialists tailor caregiving services to the loved one’s needs and could include one or more of the following types described below:
Home Nursing Care
We offer this form of care to patients discharged from the hospital but need a nurse to perform rehabilitative, preventative, and therapeutic services.
Also, older adults and patients struggling with long-term illnesses like cancer, HIV/AIDS, dementia, and stroke, to mention a few, are eligible candidates for home nursing care.
Our caregivers offer various non-medical and medical care services based on your needs and arrangement.
Whether you need help with everyday activities like bathing, meal preparation or more specialized care, e.g., wound management, checking vitals, administering medication, etc., we’ve got you.
Therapy
If your loved one is experiencing mobility problems either due to reduced movement or injury from an accident, you can count on our physiotherapists.
We tailor treatment plans to your needs, helping your body regain mobility and function. Your well-being is our priority; hence, we involve you every step of the way.
Our occupational therapist will liaise with you to develop the treatment plan and help you perform the prescribed exercises.
Diet Planning
Diet is critical to keeping the body healthy and strong for older adults, and diet planning is necessary.
Older adults can be picky eaters because their taste buds change over time. Our home-based caregivers know this all too well and are keen to help your loved one develop a healthy diet plan.
We ensure that the diets are well-balanced and that nutritional content is tailored to the individual’s health condition and age.
When is the Best Time to Consider Home-based Care?
Oftentimes, family and friends notice a series of events that signal a greater need for assistance.
The loved one may become increasingly forgetful and find it challenging to perform everyday grooming activities like bathing, brushing. Other signs your loved one needs help are:
Poor Hygiene
Changes in your loved one’s grooming and dressing habits is a telltale sign of deteriorating health. Dementia patients, for example, can find it challenging to manage their hygiene without help.
Poor eating habits
Due to physical or mental challenges, older adults often struggle to follow healthy eating routines. Their taste buds may change, making their favorite meals seem unappealing.
A home caregiver can help evaluate their eating patterns and develop a varied diet that meets the loved one’s needs.
Frequent Accidents and Falls
Even simple falls can cause excruciating pain in an older adult.
Their bones are delicate, making falls that would be shrugged off while younger cause injury.
A professional caregiver helps the loved one move safely and remain mobile during recovery.
Increased Forgetfulness
This is another telltale sign that your loved one needs special care. Their forgetfulness could interfere with their daily activities, hence the need for home-based care.
Reduced Mobility
Older adults experience reduced mobility as they age and need help moving from one place to another.
Sometimes, the loved one may have underlying physical or neurological illnesses that affect the gait in specific ways. A home-based care professional helps them keep mobile to avoid injuries.
Financial and Emotional Burden
There’s also the potential burden they may bring to family members and friends who spend much time to ensure they’re safe.
Home-based care eliminates all such concerns while preserving and maintaining their freedom, independence, and dignity.
And the beauty of it all is that they stay in and live in familiar surroundings- at home.
Need GoCare Home-based Care?
With most older adults opting to continue living in their homes for as long as possible home-based care is a no-brainer. At GoCare, we offer a vast range of home-based caregiving services; you only need to liaise with our caregivers to find the best care for your loved one. They may not always agree to professional caregiving, but if they exhibit the signs discussed above, it’s time to call us.