As our older loved ones age, it becomes necessary that we seek senior care services for them. The condition of the senior will determine the type of care they need. Understanding the different types of senior care available in Marina del Rey and other communities helps you select the kind of care that best suits them. This will save you a lot of time and money. We highlight the types of care available for seniors to help you plan and make arrangements for the appropriate care of your loved one.
Skilled and non-skilled care
At the top of all care, we have skilled and non-skilled care. Skilled care is provided by professionals who have medical training. It is given to seniors who have medical complications that require the presence of a medic. For example, the senior could have a condition that requires constant monitoring of their vitals such as temperature, pressure, heart rate or respiration. Alternatively, they may need assistance with ventilators, artificial limbs, and other supportive devices. Under these circumstances, it would be necessary to hire a caregiver who has undergone medical training.
On the other hand, non-skilled care involves assisting the senior with daily routine activities such as bathing, laundry, walking, transferring, toileting, clothing or errands such as going to see the doctor.
Custodial care
Custodial care restricts the movement of the seniors to within their homes or the care centers. This type of care is given to seniors who have memory problems such as those who have dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. If allowed to go out of the residence, such people may wander and get lost as they may fail to locate where they came from because of their mental condition. Sometimes they even forget their own identities.
This type of care requires security throughout the day and night, which makes it relatively expensive.
While under custodial care, the elders are provided support on their normal daily living activities which they cannot do on their own. These include feeding, laundry, toileting, exercise, cooking, medication reminders, errands, transportation and many others. In Marina Del Rey, this support is often given by non-medical service providers.
Daycare
This type of senior care is provided mostly during daytime on weekdays. Daycare provides a convenient arrangement for a family that lives with their senior loved one, but the family members have to attend to other activities such as going to work during the day. The senior member is brought back home at the end of the day.
At the daycare center, the individual is assisted to do all the daily activities, including taking meals and doing exercises. The caregivers also help administer various types of therapies including medication.
Home care
Also known as personal care, home care is another common type of care and is provided to seniors in their homes. The best bit about it is that the senior remains within familiar surroundings. In-home care can be provided by a skilled medical or non-medical service provider. Sometimes it is necessary that both medical and non-medical services are provided at the same time. It is essential that you ask the prospective home care agency or providers the right questions to make sure you are making the right choice for your loved one.
Virtual companion care
Advancement in technology has made it possible to use various devices for purposes of senior care. These have made it possible for the seniors to live confidently and comfortably in their homes for long before being moved to assisted care. For example, some applications use discreet sensors placed in the house to help the family members, caregivers and the senior stay in touch. This helps the caregivers and the family members check on the senior at any time. If there is any sudden change in the senior’s health, the device alerts the caregiver and the family members immediately through a text message, an e-mail or a phone call so that they take remedial measures at once.
Other Internet-based devices are used to provide medication reminders and also facilitate interactions of the senior with family members, thus reducing the feeling of loneliness or isolation. Interestingly, other devices enable seniors to have real conversations with their loved ones. Although the care, in this case, is not hands on, the virtual companion has great potential to improve the lives of seniors in Marina Del Rey and reduce the cost of in-home senior care.