10 Ways Home Care Benefits Eldercare Facility Residents

May 11, 2011

Think home health care is only for someone living in a single family home or traditional apartment? Home care services can be provided anywhere that an elder calls home, from his or her lifelong house to a retirement community or even for extra support in a nursing facility or hospital. Here are ten ways home care services can benefit someone in an assisted living facility or retirement community.

1. Home caregivers can provide transportation services that may go beyond what the retirement community provides. For example, a home health aide can escort a client to treatments and procedures at specialty medical facilities some distance away. A home care companion can take a client out in the evening to a favorite restaurant or even travel with an elder to a family event out of town.

2. Home care companions can provide companionship and escort to activities, inside and outside of the retirement community or care facility. They can encourage your loved one to attend activities and be there to assist. They can take your loved one out to his or her favorite restaurant or for a visit to the old neighborhood bridge group.

3. A home health company is an excellent resource during your loved one’s transition to a new home. Read more about our Easy Transitions program.

4. A home health aide can provide additional services to enable one member of a couple to remain in a lower level of care, therefore together in the same apartment or room. For example, in many continuing care facilities, one must move to a different area for assisted living, dementia/Alzheimer’s care or skilled nursing facilities. If one spouse needs additional care, the two may be separated. EasyLiving can provide a home health aide to the person needing more care so that the couple might remain together.

5. Home care services provide those “little extras” with one-on-one attention. Perhaps you want to make sure your elderly Mom has someone to help her with her makeup and getting ready for the day, since she has always been very particular about her appearance. Or, perhaps you want someone to walk with your Dad every day first thing in the morning, as has been his routine since retiring. A home caregiver can focus on personalized services such as these.

6. If your loved one has Alzheimer’s or some other form of dementia, a home health caregiver can provide oversight and attention to ensure continued safety. Wandering may be an issue of concern, and a caregiver can stay with a loved one and redirect him or her as needed. A caregiver can provide support and reassurance when the elder is anxious or confused. Home care services often enable the individual with dementia to stay safely in the current residence with a reduction in “problematic” behaviors.

7. A professional caregiver can sit with your loved one when hospitalized or “take a shift” when family members cannot be there. A hospital stay can be very challenging for older adults with multiple conditions or memory issues, so having someone there can be vital.

8. A home health caregiver is another set of eyes and ears checking on your loved one. He or she can report any concerns and may notice changes while working with your loved one so closely.

9. If falling has been a problem for an elder, a home health aide can be there to assist with transferring and help with safety. If your loved one has fallen recently, you may wish to contact a home health agency like EasyLiving to set up temporary help until a thorough assessment is done to address the potential causes of the fall.

10. A home caregiver can be scheduled to visit if you are going to be out of town and usually check in or provide support to a loved one in an assisted living facility. In addition, you may wish to enlist the help of one of our Clearwater, Florida geriatric care managers when you go on a trip, so that someone is there to oversee care and serve as an advocate and liaison while you are away.