There will be a time in everyone's life when they have to face the challenges old age can bring. For many, the idea of spending the remainder of their lives in the comfort and peace of their own homes is much more attractive than living in a nursing home.
Old age can present your loved one with hurdles such as safely carrying out light housekeeping tasks but with the help of senior home care professionals they can retain their independence and confidence doing these activities in the comfort of their own home.
How Can A Home Care Service Help?
If given the option, seniors would always prefer to receive a professional care at home. A personalised care plan that been talked through with their family and a professional caregiver is often preferred instead of moving to a care home. Not all seniors might agree, but most would prefer in-home care with the familiar surroundings and to continue to live independently.
You may feel providing elderly care and stay at home care to your loved one yourself would be the ideal, but achieving all aspects of care safely by yourself is not always practical. This is where home health care services come in, they deliver care at home through their friendly and supportive staff, who fully understand and are fully trained in elderly care.
You can make this transition easy for your loved one by including them in the search for care options. This may include creating a personalised plan based on the everyday tasks and routine of the elderly care recipient. Professional carers can deliver regular quality in-home care for senior citizens throughout the week, giving you full peace of mind that they’re being looked after and having regular check-ins.
So, let's look at the pros and cons of having a personalised home care service help out.
The Pros Of Professional In-Home Care For Your Elderly Loved Ones
The exact type of services in-home caregivers can provide and the advantages to the type of care will vary based on the care recipient's needs. Here we have listed the main advantages of having a home care service cater to the needs of a senior citizen at home.
1st Advantage: Senior Citizens Remain In Familiar Surroundings
The elderly can have multiple health emergency alarms and conditions, including diabetes, hypertension, Parkinson's, epilepsy, or dementia. Dealing with unexpected emergencies is one of the biggest benefits of having professional carers visit your loved one, particularly if they have dementia or Parkinson's.
Regular domiciliary services visits also mean that the caregivers can keep an eye out for any potential health emergencies, often before they arise. This eases the pressure on medical professionals and healthcare services as your loved one is less likely to be admitted to hospital as frequently.
2nd Advantage: Senior Citizens Can Have As Many Visitors As They Like
Many older people are friendly with their neighbours, people in the community, relatives, and friends. Senior citizens might not have a very active physical life due to their health, but they can still have an active social life and a circle of friends pop in to visit.
Bespoke care plans can ensure consistency of support for your loved one. Through their fully customised plan, they’ll receive regular visits from carers to ensure they continue to lead an active social life in their community and friend's circle.
3rd Advantage: Senior Citizens Can Adjust Their Schedule Based On Their Preferences
Residential care homes often house many residents in any one of their care home facilities. This usually means the care services cannot create a schedule that will individually cater to the personal preferences of each resident.
When professional carers deliver domiciliary services to your loved one, there is never a shortage of carers to help them whatever day of the week. By preparing a personalised care plan based on each day's schedule, they can help seniors remain safe, plan their activities for the day, and maintain a degree of independence at the same time. All personalised to fit your loved one’s routine and preferences.
The Cons Of Professional In-Home Care Your Elderly Loved Ones
Although there are some clear benefits to a personalised care service at home, there are also some other factors you need to take into account when considering your options.
1st Disadvantage: You Might Need To Make Domestic Customisations For Safety Purposes
Providing safe care at your loved one's home can be challenging if their house isn't designed to safely carry out elderly care. For example, floor tiles in some areas may be dangerous when wet, the stairs and railings can post a challenge for older people, the bathroom may not be properly equipped to safely wash in.
To overcome these challenges, you might need to install extra handles on the stairs or get mats to help keep the floor dry. These are just some of the challenges senior citizens face to achieve everyday tasks safely at home. But the good news is, with a few customisations to their home it can make for a safe and comfortable environment.
2nd Disadvantage: Domiciliary Care Providers Can Feel Like An Intrusion Of Privacy
Your loved one might enjoy being in familiar surroundings, but there is the possibility that some might find a care provider to be an intrusion of their privacy. Though senior citizens might understand that the personal care workers are there to help, they might also have difficulty cooperating because they want to do things their way as it's their own home.
However, by developing a personalised care plan with your loved one, they are much more likely to be fully on board from the start. We can also offer shorter visits to start with to support with things like some light housework or a short shopping trip to gain the trust of your loved one. The visits can then be increased in both length and frequency once they are comfortable with the idea and as their needs increase.
3rd Disadvantage: Senior Citizens Can Feel More Lonely
If seniors don't receive many visits from friends, neighbours and relatives, they can sometimes feel more lonely than they would in a care home surrounded by people all day.
However, regular in-home care visits from a friendly faced carer can make a real difference. Many of our clients have said what a difference it makes and in fact, the carer visits are a highlight of their day.
Looking for Home Care Services in the Wiltshire Area ?
Home care services from Abney & Baker can provide the best solution for elderly people living in Wiltshire and Somerset. Here are just some of the towns and we cover: Melksham, Frome, Devizes, Calne, Trowbridge, Radstock, Keynsham, Saltford and Midsomer Norton. Get in touch to see how we can support your loved one.
Our carers are always available if you need additional help with your loved one, providing you with the peace of mind that they see a cheerful face frequently and that someone is checking on them to make sure they're happy and secure.
Just give us a call or book a call below, and we're happy to have a chat about your family's needs.
Helping you to continue living independently and confidently in your own home.
By providing a range of support at home, we’re helping many clients across Bath & North East Somerset and West Wiltshire retain their independence and stay in control in the comfort of their own homes.
Remember we’re always here if you want to chat about your care options. Just get in touch:
0333 043 4880 or email enquiries@abneyandbaker.com