Which Homecare Services Are Best For My Elderly Loved One?

In accordance with the current trend in homecare across the state and beyond, homecare in West Hollywood is becoming increasingly complex and diverse. No longer is homecare reserved for the ill and frail. Nowadays, even relatively independent seniors and their loved ones recognize and enjoy the many perks of homecare in West Hollywood. But which homecare services does your elderly loved one need the most?

How is homecare defined?

According to the definition of U.S. Public Health Service, homecare consists of services provided to individuals and/or families in their homes. The purpose of these services is to promote, maintain, or restore health of care recipients.

If the recipients are disabled or suffer from terminal illnesses, the purpose of caregiver services is to maximize their level of independence and minimize the effects of their medical condition. Homecare services can be separated into two categories: home health care and non-health homecare.

How is home health care different from homecare?

These two types of care are complementary if the elderly citizen has specific needs that require the attention of a qualified healthcare provider as well as assistance with other daily tasks.

The list of services providers of non-health homecare typically perform can be summed up as follows:

• Caregiving
• Companionship
• Meal preparation
• Light housekeeping
• Transportation
• Medication reminders

While the other services are self-explanatory for the most part, it is important to understand how caregiving itself works. It includes assistance with walking, dressing, grooming or transferring, making it the ideal combination of services for the elderly who are in danger of getting injured while performing these seemingly simple tasks.

The timing between the two differs considerably: most seniors are likely to need non-health homecare much sooner. This is because they are still capable of leaving the house for doctor’s appointments or trips to the pharmacy, albeit they might need the assistance of their caregiver or loved ones for that.

As for the elderly with deteriorating or delicate health, either because they are in the process of recovery or because they are bed-ridden or have difficulty leaving the house, regular visits by a nurse providing home healthcare are often necessary.

Which homecare services does my elderly loved one need?

It is up to the elderly, their loved ones and, sometimes, their treating physician, to decide on the range of homecare services and the duration of time that each visit by the caregiver will last. Of course, brace yourself for the possibility that your elderly loved one might not be enthusiastic about homecare. They might not be eager to accept the frequent presence of a stranger in their home, no matter how professional, competent or patient they may be.

Give them time to adapt to the changes and realize that receiving homecare is in their best interest, as well as that it does not require them to make any drastic changes in their way of life. Just the opposite: the main purpose of in home care is to allow them to enjoy living in the comfort of home without feeling lonely or alone.

Your elderly loved one may need certain homecare services provided on daily basis but only for a short stretch of time, such as companionship, light housekeeping and transportation. For instance, if you haven’t got the time to take your loved one to see the historic Sunset Tower or spend a whole day at the beach, the caregiver has got you covered. On the other hand, they might be in need of the whole range of services, especially if the family lives far away.

Raising the standards of senior homecare in West Hollywood

Here at A Better Way in Home Care, we go the extra mile to make the lives of seniors and their families better and easier. By matching you with highly competent caregivers with years of experience in the field of homecare, we fulfil that mission.

Your elderly loved one deserves to enjoy a peaceful home life and be cared for with compassion and understanding that only a professional caregiver can provide. Call us today and let us change things for the better in the life of your loved one!