Home Care for the Elderly

By Brent Bechard

Aging in place is the concept of letting elderly adults stay in their homes for as long as possible. Many people love the idea of doing this but may not understand what that entails or how to set the process up. You may find yourself in this dilemma. Maybe your aged mother needs a little help getting dressed but still has a sharp mind. You know your dad has missed your mother since she passed and could use a friendly face to chat with occasionally. Professional home care workers provide the needed assistance that gives seniors the dignity and independence they deserve.

An Overview of How Home Care Services Work

Understanding how home care services work begins with knowing what aging adults need. Caring for the elderly in their homes requires patience and knowing your personal limits. Next, it helps to understand available services and how to access them. Finally, home care is more than a stranger sitting with Dad. It is a well-trained professional caregiver, or a personal support worker (PSW) who becomes an integral part of your family’s support system.

1. Caring for the Elderly at Home

As the son or daughter of a senior citizen, you may have made the promise never to let Mom spend the rest of her days in a nursing facility. Letting your parent remain at home is a noble idea that comes with a lot of responsibility and inevitable stress. Some key factors to keep in mind include:

Understanding how much care Dad needs. You may find that he needs more hands-on time than you currently have. Being realistic about this aspect aids you in preparing for the work ahead.
Knowing what your personal limits are. Being a caregiver of an older adult can take a toll on your health if you are not careful. It’s critical that you pay attention to what your body is telling you.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Reach out for help, either for a family member to run errands or sit with Mom or hire a personal support worker. You will need breaks to maintain your duties.

Even if you are ready to take on the caregiving responsibilities for your loved one, senior home care services can help make things much more manageable.

2. Home Care Services for Seniors

Aging in place is possible for seniors when they have the needed help. If you are an adult child determined to let Mom and Dad remain in their home, keep in mind that you don’t have to do everything alone. Look for assistance through family, friends, and professional home care workers. Personal support workers can offer different levels of care, including:

Light housekeeping. You may not have time to clean Dad’s home, but a home care worker can. They can run the vacuum, dust the furniture, or do laundry.
Personal care and meal prep. Sometimes, Mom needs a little assistance with dressing or bathing. Aunt Beth might benefit from help with meal preparations.
Hospice help. Ensuring your loved one is comfortable is much easier when a qualified caregiver steps in. You can give your senior the quality of life you want with this service.

Once you have decided to hire a professional service to care for your aging adult, you need to get a plan to set it up. You have many options to ensure things run smoothly and your loved one is well-cared for by a trained personal support worker or senior care professional.

Here some Basic Insights of Using Home Care Services

3. Arranging Home Care for Seniors in Ontario

Arranging home care may seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. Ontario has many options available. The general process includes:

Contacting Home and Community Care Support Services. They will put you in touch with a case manager or care coordinator for your senior.
Checking to see if you qualify for government-funded help. Once you have a caseworker, they will decide if you are eligible for government help. Other options to pay include utilizing community agencies or paying a private company.
Discovering what services your Home and Community Care Support Services can provide. With help from the caseworker, you will know what kind of support Mom or Dad can receive.
Having a home visit. The caseworker will assess your aging parent’s health and create a home care plan.
Applying for government-funded care. In the event you qualify, you will receive a home care provider.

Obtaining the best home care providers is key to the success of aging adults being able to remain in their homes. Whether you are approved for government assistance or pay for a private service, you want to know and feel confident that they can handle your parent’s needs.

Learn more about the Steps to Arrange Home Care and Types of Services

4. Understanding Home Care for Seniors

Home care aims to ensure aging adults can remain in their homes for as long as possible. Understand how home care supports you and your family so you can benefit to the maximum. A private service provider should:

Work with you and your family to discover your needs. They should carry out the care plan as provided by a caseworker. If paying privately, they should tailor-make a care plan.
Offer many options to fulfill your loved ones’ needs. Look for caregivers that can support your family member with personal care, light housekeeping, palliative care, and Alzheimer’s care.
Be fully immersed in the homes they enter when on the job. When a caregiver arrives, you want to know they will focus on the care of your loved one. They have excellent senior care training and the desire to build a lasting relationship with you and your family.

Experienced, trusted home care services put your mind at ease. When you find the right providers, you can focus on your parent-child relationship with Mom or Dad instead of a caregiver-senior relationship.

Give Your Parent the Gift of Remaining in Their Home to Age

Many senior citizens want to live in their homes for as long as possible. Why shouldn’t they? A home is a place of refuge and comfort. Ensure your mother or father can age in place by enlisting the services of Home Instead Hamilton. We have well-trained caregivers ready to assist your loved one with light housekeeping, nutritious meals, Alzheimer's and dementia care, and other customized home care services. Let’s work together to give your aging parent the gift of staying home while giving you peace of mind knowing they are in capable hands.

Call us at (905) 521-5500 to schedule a no-obligation, in-home consultation. Learn more about the compassionate, quality senior care we deliver daily to families in Hamilton Mountain, Downtown Hamilton, Rosedale, Kings Forest, Binbrook, Meadowlands, Ancaster, and Dundas.