Your father or mother is getting older and it’s harder for them to get around the house and perform daily tasks. You start to worry about leaving them all alone but understand that moving out of their home is not an ideal solution.
What can you do? You can look into home care services.
When it comes to home care, there’s a lot of misinformation out there. It can be difficult–and overwhelming–for those considering home care to sift through all the available information.
Everyone wants the best for their parents as they reach old age, but it can be difficult to discern fact from fiction.
There are a number of myths surrounding home health care that range from exaggerated to downright untrue. Read on and we’ll debunk five prevalent ones below.
1. Home Care Is Only for the Sick
Of course, when someone leaves the hospital after a serious illness, home care will likely be helpful or is sometimes even required. Additionally, slips, falls, and sudden illnesses become more common in old age. A home assistant can be a great pair of second eyes to ensure your loved one is okay. But these aren’t the only scenarios in which an older person might need help around the house.
Even seniors who are in good health might be having trouble with necessary daily tasks.
Often, those in good health are much more likely to find that growing old in their old home suits them better. As an alternative to an assisted living facility, many seniors are overjoyed to have some help come to the house.
Tasks that home health service provides doesn’t always have to be medical focused. Assistants can help with:
- Meal prep
- Going shopping
- Taking care of housekeeping.
This help frees up your loved one to enjoy their days, instead of spending them struggling through routines that might no longer come easily to them.
2. Home Care Is Very Expensive
Many people don’t consider home care because they assume the costs will be too high for them or out of their loved one’s budget. But home care can actually be very affordable when you consider the numerous benefits it provides.
The greatest asset to home health care is the flexible schedule. Most home care assistants are paid by the hour, meaning you can create a work schedule tailored to both your needs and your budget.
If your loved one needs a few hours of assistance and company a week, it can actually be greatly affordable. While private rooms in assisted living homes continue to get more expensive, the cost of at-home services has held mostly consistent.
Some at-home services are also covered by Medicaid or other forms of health insurance. It’s important to look into the costs associated with home service before writing it off as an option. You may be pleasantly surprised!
3. Home Care Takes Away Senior’s Independence
Are you finding your loved one growing stubborn when you bring up the topic of home care? It’s not uncommon. Many times, people don’t want to accept that they’re getting older, and the idea of assisted help can be difficult to discuss.
Are they right? Does in-home care always take away a senior’s independence?
This doesn’t have to be the case at all. The services that home care can provide are completely flexible. Anything that a senior feels like is infringing on their lives can be avoided.
In fact, most seniors won’t have to change anything about their lives if they don’t want to.
If anything, as we mentioned previously, the extra help around the house will free up your loved one to explore their sense of independence even more. Time not spent cleaning or cooking can be used on hobbies, social activities, and more!
Many seniors also develop wonderful friendships with their home care assistants. These are the people who take them out for the day, who are available to attend concerts or movies with them, and eat together. Instead of seeing the extra help as an infringement, your loved one can look forward to a new companion, equal, and friend.
4. Home Care Isn’t A Long-Term Solution
There is a perpetuated myth that home health care is something of a temporary solution. As the popular misconception goes, home care is a stepping stone towards eventually entering assisted living.
This is certainly not the case with many seniors, who go on to live long and fulfilling lives in their homes!
Of course, the needs of a senior will vary case by case. However, to generalize and say that all who need a little help around the house will end up in a home is simply untrue.
5. Family Should Care for Family
Some adult children feel guilty about passing off the responsibility of care to a medical professional. They feel as if they’re not “being there” for their loved one. But having assistance at home can actually enrich the family relationship.
On the other side of the coin, many parents feel guilty burdening their children with their health concerns. Many find that having help around the house restores the balance of a parent/child relationship. It frees up time to enjoy one another’s company, without adding extra concerns or work to daily life.
Just because you have some extra help around, it doesn’t mean you won’t be there for your loved one. Instead, it can mean everyone involved will feel less stressed and more fulfilled in their relationships.
Home Health Care for Your Loved One
There are many perpetuated myths that surround home health care. Hopefully, the information above has helped you see through the myths and understand the truth about home assistance. It could be just the help you need.
Have more questions about assisted services? Contact us for more information.
