How Does Home Care Help With Independence?

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Your parents want to remain independent. They don’t want to have to move to an assisted living community, and you feel it’s possible if they have help each day. What home care services are most helpful in maintaining independence as you age?

Cleaning

Home Care Union County NJ - How Does Home Care Help With Independence?

Home Care Union County NJ – How Does Home Care Help With Independence?

Some cleaning tasks are easy as you get older. Others become more of a challenge. Your mom is fine dusting shelves and tables, but she cannot reach ceiling fan blades or where the ceiling line. Home care aides can take over tasks that she cannot do on her own.

Your dad can do the laundry, but he can’t safely carry the hamper down the basement stairs. Home care aides can help with that. They can also vacuum stairs, mop floors, and wash dishes.

Medication Reminders

Most older adults have one or more prescriptions. Blood pressure medications, diabetes medications, and pain relievers are some of the most common. If your parents take medications each day, do they often forget a dose? Have you ever had to count your parents’ pills to see if they’ve taken too many?

Medication reminders are one important service for older adults who have a hard time remembering if they’ve taken their pills or not. Caregivers can remind them when it’s time and stop them from trying to take more if they don’t remember taking them.

Transportation

When your parents can no longer safely drive, it can make them feel trapped and isolated. They feel as though they’ll never get to do the things they enjoyed in their community like visiting a museum or going shopping. Caregivers can drive them around so that they continue to do these things.

Caregivers can take them shopping and help them carry packages. If your parents have a hard time using the payment terminal at a register, a caregiver can walk them through the steps and make sure they have their card and receipt when they’re done.

They can also read the fine print on labels. That helps your parents avoid foods that are high in sugar, salt, or saturated fat. They still choose their foods and ingredients, but they have assistance to make wise choices.

What are the first steps to take to arrange home care services? Talk to your parents and close family about the things everyone has noticed that your parents have a harder time doing independently. Come up with a list of home care services that would benefit them.

Once you have a list, call a home care specialist and ask about those services, schedules, and pricing. Answer any questions the advisor has about your parents and create a care plan and schedule that meets their needs.

If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring professional Home Care Services in Union County NJ, please talk to the caring staff at Generations Home Health Care today. Providing Home Care in Somerset, Essex, Union, Morris and Hunterdon Counties. Call us today at (908) 290-0691 or (973) 241-4534.

Susan Myer, RN, BSN, CCRN, CDP
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