Moving into a senior care facility is not the best option for everyone. If you want your parents to age at home, there is always a way you can allow that. A lot of elderly Americans choose to move into a community for senior living in Ogden when they can no longer be independent. Although this is the best choice for some people, other senior citizens prefer to live out the rest of their life at home. If your parents would benefit more by staying at home, here is how you can find the best in-home care for them:
Know what to look for in a home care agency
Aside from having private duty home care software, a reliable senior care agency should be checked for compatibility with the service you want. Before you look too far into a particular agency, check if:
- The agency is certified by Medicare or Medicaid
- The agency offers the specific care needed
- The agency has staff that can communicate effectively in the preferred language, if necessary
- The agency does background checks on all of its staff
Choose the right kind of in-home care
There are several types of in-home care that you can choose from.
- Home care. This can be separated into two categories of non-medical care. A home caregiver can help seniors with daily living (eating, bathing, mobility, etc.) or help them with instrumental activities (housekeeping, cleaning, cooking, etc.).
- Recovery care. A temporary service that is given to older adults who are recovering from surgery or an injury.
- Respite care. Another type of temporary service wherein home care is provided for the client when the regular caregivers are not available.
- Home health care. Not to be confused with home care. For home health care, seniors are given the service that they would usually get in a nursing home (medication administration, IV treatment, etc.)
- Hospice and palliative care. This type of in-home care is given to people nearing their end of life, where they are kept as comfortable and healthy as possible.
Talk to other people
The doctor will give you the type of medical assistance that your parents need, which will help you decide what kind of in-home care to pursue. Start your search by speaking with friends, family members, coworkers, and doctors about their recommended agencies.
Determine your budget
Find out how much you need to pay for in-home care before you sign your parents up for it. Maximize sources of income-your parents’ pension, disability checks, the rest of the family’s contribution-to find out how much you can spend for the services. Make sure that you try to get coverage from existing insurance to help with the costs, too.
Research about the agency as much as you can
To make sure that the agency will take good care of your senior parents, make sure that:
- The caregivers have enough training and experience
- The agency has a good caregiving plan
- The agency has a good reputation
- There are support services provided
- The caregiver assigned to you shows compassion and concern
As our aging parents approach the end of their lives, we want to make them as comfortable as they can be. By keeping these suggestions in mind, you should be able to find an in-home care service that will keep them happy and healthy for as long as possible.