Do you have an elderly parent in need of senior care in Santa Monica? Despite the increasing health complications, mom or dad insists that they want to stay at home. Your efforts at convincing them otherwise have borne no fruit and it doesn’t seem like they will budge soon.
Their 40-year-old home is too big to clean, and mom won’t even cook anymore. How do you feel about getting an extra hand to help mom or dad at home? Some seniors we come across seem leery of in-home care at first. It is no surprise that you are too.
We understand that you may be wary of letting a perfect stranger into your home and lives. However, common myths surround the concept of in-home care for seniors, and we will debunk them all to help you make an informed decision and choose the optimal form of care for your aging loved ones.
They do not care about patients
One of the most widespread myths is that in-home caregivers do not care about their clients. It is crucial to understand that caregivers take on the profession because they are passionate about people and are willing to help them. Additionally, in-home care providers offer their services according to the client’s specific needs.
A professional senior care practitioner is trained to establish a rapport, make the client feel relaxed, learn their hesitations and make their time as comfortable as possible. Before referring any caregiver to a home in Santa Monica, we analyze the client’s needs and ensure that we send the most suited professional for the job. A good match between a caregiver and a client often leads to friendship. Our caregivers care deeply about our customers and do their best to ensure that the seniors feel joyful, healthy and independent.
In-home care is very expensive
The thought of hiring professionals to provide senior care at home can be intimidating. The belief that in-home care is expensive is unfounded. According to a survey performed by Genworth in 2016, the national median for in-home health care is $127 per day. In-home care services are offered on an hourly basis and are flexible to match your schedule and care plan.
If the client is not in need of critical medical aid, hiring a non-medical aide to help with personal care, daily chores and companionship can be tremendously cheap. Whether you need a full-time or part-time senior care provider, reality is that in-home care is more affordable than many people believe.
In-home care providers are untrustworthy
This myth has been propagated far and wide in the form of stories about mistreated patients or clients who became victims of theft at the hands of caregivers. These stories have caused many to avoid in-home care services at all costs. To clear the air, 99% of these cases are reported to have been committed by unprofessional, independent caregivers who were not hired through a reputable company.
All the caregivers from our agency have undergone a thorough background check. Additionally, we are licensed and bonded, and all our caregivers are professional.
I have no say regarding the care provider
We try as much as possible to match clients and senior care providers according to their personalities, similar interests, and even histories. A reputable agency continues to work with the customer until they can find the best caregiver to match the specific personalities and skills they need. If a client is unhappy with the caregiver provided, they have the right to call the agency immediately to request a replacement.
The client reserves the right to have the final say on the caregiver who will provide the right in-home services.
In-home care is only for people who are very sick
While in-home care can be very beneficial to individuals who are terminally ill or recovering from a serious illness, not all recipients of in-home care are very sick. In fact, there are two types of in-home care: medical and non-medical senior care.
Medical care is for those who are in need of medical services, while non-medical care provides help with activities of daily living. These include personal care, housework, shopping, and driving. In some cases, non-medical in-home care provides companionship which can be beneficial in preventing depression and boosting the mood of your loved one.
The bottom line is that as the need for senior care increases in Santa Monica and the world as a whole, in-home care services will continue growing in popularity. Therefore, it is crucial that we dispel the most widespread myths surrounding the subject.