Home care should not be confused with home healthcare. A trained caregiver helps the elderly or the disabled with the activities of daily living such as eating, bathing, and dressing. Having someone at home to take care of your folks eases your worries about their safety and well being while you are away at your day job.

What Is Home Care?

Home care is skilled supportive care given to the elderly or patient in their homes by trained caregivers. They are not nurses or doctors, but they are trained handle medical emergencies and first aid. The service provided is more domiciliary because the caregivers do other jobs cleaning the house for the elderly or disabled living alone. They also run errands, or take their charges to community activities if this is possible.

This service is not permanent though; this is provided for a specific period or until the patient is able to get back on his feet. Getting home care instead of placing the patient in nursing homes has several advantages. It is cheaper and the patient is happier and comfortable in familiar surroundings – the home.

So if your parents are no longer capable of doing some chores like cooking or cleaning the house and driving the car, domiciliary services not healthcare is recommended; but for patients with special needs such as physical and speech therapy for a few hours daily, a healthcare provider should be hired in conjunction with a domiciliary caregiver.

When You Should Get a Trained Caregiver?

Your folks are fiercely independent but then as they grow older, they need someone to look after them. But when should you get home care for your elderly parents?

•When nobody can keep an eye on your parents while you are away at work

•When parents prefer to stay at home rather than in a nursing home

•When parents become accident prone, need assistance walking, shopping, and getting to the toilet

•When parents need someone to keep an eye on their medication

•When they are living independently and need companionship

•When they are going through emotional upheavals

The next concern is talking your parents to accept a stranger at home to care for their personal needs. This will not be easy but if you ask the help of your family doctor or a family friend to convince your parents, they may see the usefulness of having someone other than their kith and kin caring for them.

The choice of the right caregiver should match your parents’ needs and personalities. With the right choice, your parents can enjoy a lasting relationship with their caregiver, one that is built on trust and mutual respect.

The caregiver is a trained professional, who can handle critical situations, can do simple tasks like taking one’s temperature and cooking nutritious meals. For the elderly, it is like having family at home who takes care of them and their needs, run errands for them, and provide them companionship.

The non-disabled elderly with companions at home are more likely to stay healthy, feel better, and stay active. These results should encourage you to get the qualified home care provider – someone who is compassionate and has the necessary skills to care for the elderly and disabled.

Someday when it is your turn to need home care, you’ll be ready for it having this experience now.