The Benefits of In-Home Care and Elder Care

If you have been acting as the primary caregiver for an elderly loved one or you have realized your loved one can no longer complete daily living tasks independently, you should consider hiring an in-home care aide. Seniors who need 24-hour care now have alternatives to assisted living facilities and retirement homes.

Senior care specialists can offer you around the clock care, either temporarily or until your loved one is ready for an assisted living placement. If you need respite from your caregiver services, you can rely on in-home care services to take over while you get a much-needed break. Learn more about the benefits of 24/7 in-home care or elder care.

Personalized Care Plan

When you hire a 24-hour in-home caregiver, you will have a lengthy initial consultation to discuss your loved one’s needs and care. The caregiver may evaluate your loved one’s physical, emotional, mental, and social health to determine what level of senior care services they need.

You may be asked to answer detailed questions, provide medical records, and fill out a health questionnaire on behalf of your loved one. The caregiver will use this information to create a personalized care plan for your loved one. This plan will outline daily tasks, routines, schedules, needs, and more.

Aging in Place & Maintaining Their Lifestyle

Hiring in-home caregivers who can offer 24/7 monitoring and assistance will allow your loved one to remain in the comfort of their own home, rather than transitioning into an assisted living facility.

Your loved one will be able to maintain their lifestyle, be around comfortable and familiar objects, and age in place. This is preferable to moving your loved one from one assisted living facility to another as their needs change.

Greater Independence & Freedom

Staying in their own home gives your loved one some amount of control over their environment. They can enjoy some measure of independence and freedom, which they might not find at an assisted living facility.

A professional in-home caregiver can offer stability and safety, while still allowing your loved one to maintain a level of freedom and confidence.

Increased Safety

Another amazing benefit offered by in-home care services is increased safety for your loved one. Your loved one’s health and safety may be at risk if they:

Have serious health issues
Are at risk of a fall
Can’t remember to take medications on time
Haven’t been bathing regularly
Can’t make healthy meals on their own
Tend to wander
Are forgetful or showing early signs of dementia

Your loved one’s personal care plan will include safeguards to protect them from accident and injury. You can also schedule a home safety evaluation before your caregiver arrives to make sure your home is as safe as possible for your loved one.

More Affordable for Many Families

For many families, a 24/7 in-home caregiver is more affordable than the cost of assisted living. Your loved one will get the same access to medical care and home care needs, without having to live in an unfamiliar environment.

Plus, a 24/7 senior care specialist will offer individualized, one-on-one attention to your loved one, and they won’t be competing with other residents for care or attention.

Opportunities for Family Involvement & Support

When your loved one stays at their home or your home rather than going into an assisted living facility, you and your family will have greater opportunities for involvement in their care and comfort.

Your loved one’s spirits will stay high and they will have the support they need. Rather than coordinating visits and working within visiting hours at an assisted living facility, you can spend time together whenever it is convenient.

Offers Respite for Family Caregivers

If you or another family member has been acting as the primary caregiver for your loved one, hiring an elder care specialist offers you respite. You will have time to practice self-care, decompress, and take part in activities that are purely for your enjoyment.

To avoid burnout, stress, depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues, it’s crucial for you to have the ability to take time away from caregiving duties to take care of your physical, mental, emotional, and social health.

Companionship & Assistance With Daily Living Tasks

In addition to providing around the clock medical care, a 24-hour in-home care aide will also provide companionship. They can provide Alzheimer’s care or memory care services, keep your loved one from becoming lonely or depressed, and encourage them to take part in social activities aimed at seniors.

They can also provide assistance with daily living tasks your loved one can’t complete on their own, like bathing, grooming, dressing, preparing meals, and taking medications.

Differences Between Live-In Care & 24-Hour Care

Live-in care and 24-hour senior care services are different. Live-in caregivers actually stay in the home night and day to provide services according to your loved one’s individual care plan.

They are legally entitled to an 8-hour break and a bed in which to sleep and rest. 24-hour in-home care services require that two caregivers work in shifts to make sure someone is always awake day and night to care for your loved one’s needs.

This may be necessary if your loved one has complex or specialized medical needs or needs Alzheimer’s care services.

When Should You Choose 24-Hour In-Home Care?

24-hour in-home care is a bigger investment than occasional help from a senior care specialist. However, you don’t need to commit to 24-hour care permanently. You might decide that temporary or occasional around the clock in-home care services are necessary so that you or other caregivers can take a break.

You may also need these services when you go on vacation or will be away from home for a long period of time. There are some situations that necessitate permanent 24-hour in-home care services:

Your loved one has a complex medical issue that requires monitoring around the clock
Your loved one uses complex medical equipment that requires supervision and monitoring
Your loved one needs Alzheimer’s care or dementia care because they might wander or become a danger to themselves
Your loved one is at risk of a medical emergency and would not be able to summon help quickly on their own
Your loved one is at a high risk of a fall and/or has limited mobility
Your loved one doesn’t have control of their bladder or bowels
Your loved one has worsening symptoms of a disease, illness, or mental health issue
The strain of providing around the clock caregiving services to your loved one has affected you and/or other family members

Are You Considering 24-Hour In-Home Care in Tucson, AZ?

If you’re considering 24-hour in-home care in Tucson and the Phoenix metro areas, our team at Placita In Home Care can help. We have been providing compassionate, flexible senior care services, dementia care services, and Alzheimer’s care since 2017. Our staff is highly trained, fully screened, and has decades of experience in caregiving.

We can guide you through the process of determining if your loved one needs around the clock in-home care services, or if they should transfer to an assisted living facility. We also offer free assisted living placement services. Call us today or fill out our contact form online to schedule a consultation for assisted living placement services.