Reasons To Consider In-Home Health Care For Your Aging Relative
Posted on: 14 April 2016
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As someone who provides care to a relative that is a senior citizen, you may think that no additional care is needed. However, to help both you and your relative, there are reasons you might want to start thinking about recruiting in-home assistance. Keep reading to learn why this kind of health care might be a good fit for your family.
Your Relative's Health Might Require More Care Over Time
You might help your relative with certain things during the day. For instance, you might help them administer insulin if they have diabetes, or you may help them get in and out of their bathtub. However, this may become progressively more difficult for you to do on your own. Your relative may need more insulin or they may gain weight and it becomes even harder to lift them or support their weight.
Having someone else there for daily tasks can help you continue to care for your elderly relative as their health changes over time. Because an in-home care professional has some medical training, they can also help you understand more about what is happening to your relative and which steps need to be taken to make things easier for everyone. For example, they may suggest buying a Hoyer lift machine to help move your relative around.
Your Relative Behaves in an Unsafe Way
If your relative acts in a way that is unsafe, it makes sense to get as much help as you need. For instance, if your relative is starting to leave the house without notifying you, perhaps because they have Alzheimer's disease, in-home professional help can help keep them safely indoors.
You May Experience Burnout
Even if you don't think so right now, taking care of an elderly relative can become stressful and isolating over a long period. You may not want to leave your parent, but it is vital that you take care of your own health and needs. If nothing else, you might want to go out for dinner or to the movies once or twice a week.
To prevent burnout and frustration, having someone come in from an in-home care agency can help. You can get out of the house and do something you enjoy, and because your relative is with a trained professional, you can feel confident that they are in competent hands and will be well cared for.
In-home health care can be beneficial for both your aging reltative and you. Talk with a number of local in-home care agencies, such as In Your Home Care, to find out more about how they can care for your particular relative.