Learn how enlisting the services of a home care agency can keep a senior independent in their own home longer.
When an adult child first begins talking with a parent about hiring a home care agency, they may meet with resistance. Seniors often think accepting help means giving up their independence. In reality, having a little help now can protect an older adult’s independence in the long term.
From ensuring better nutrition to providing safe transportation, here are a few ways home care benefits seniors who wish to remain in their own home for as long as possible.
Supporting Senior Independence with In-Home Care
- Encourage good nutrition: One pillar of successful aging is a healthy diet. That’s not always easy when you are cooking for one or have health conditions, such as osteoarthritis or Parkinson’s disease. Home care makes it easier. From grocery shopping to meal preparation, having an in-home caregiver allows a senior to eat well and reap the rewards of a healthy diet.
- Provide transportation: An older adult may keep driving after they no longer feel comfortable doing so out of perceived necessity. They might believe adult children are busy and hesitate to ask them for transportation assistance. An aide from a home care agency can take an older adult to run errands, go to appointments, and participate in social activities they enjoy.
- Reduce fall risk: Another way home care promotes greater independence is by reducing an older adult’s risk of falling. Falls are a leading cause of disability among seniors. An in-home caregiver can perform household tasks and activities that present a fall risk for seniors. This includes chores such as light housekeeping, dusting, vacuuming, and doing the laundry. Even assisting with simple tasks like changing a light bulb and taking the trash out can help keep a senior safer.
- Manage medications: It’s fairly common for adults over the age of 65 to take several types of medications to treat different health conditions. Staying on track with dosage times and amounts in addition to ordering and reordering can be a challenge. Medication management is another service home care agencies offer. Caregivers can provide medication reminders to keep the senior on schedule.
- Get more exercise: Research shows a sedentary lifestyle is almost as dangerous for your health as smoking. Unfortunately, older adults living alone might fall into the habit of sitting too much and exercising too little. A home care companion can take walks with a senior, get them involved in activities, and encourage them to stay active.
Home Care from The Wesley
If this type of care seems like a good fit for an aging family member in the Saratoga Springs area, we invite you to consider The Wesley. We’ll create a custom care plan that allows your senior loved one to live their best quality of life in the privacy of their own home. Our service area includes Clifton Park, Glens Falls, Queensbury, Malta, and Greenwich, NY, and all of Saratoga, Warren, and Schenectady counties. Call us at (518) 587-3600 to learn more today!