How to determine if HomeCare would be the best option

Can the senior in your care dress himself or  herself? If not, are you able and willing to assist with this task every  day?Can your loved one use the restroom independently? If not, is there  someone who can always be by the side of the senior citizen at home to  assist with these essential functions?Is the senior in your care able to  prepare and eat simple meals without assistance? If not, is there  someone to help with this task?Can your loved one shower independently?  If not, can you safely assist in the cleaning of your loved one?If the  senior in your care is unable to complete these daily tasks  independently, and if you or others are not able to meet these needs, it  may be time for your loved one to receive elderly in-home care. 

Can he or she move from the bed to a chair  unassisted? Can he make the walk from the chair to the toilet? If he  can’t move throughout the house independently, and there is no one there  who can assist him 24 hours a day, seven days a week, it may be time to  check into local facilities. 

The daily process of purchasing, preparing, and  eating food often becomes too difficult for people as they age.  Sometimes their sense of smell and taste decreases, and this may cause  them to eat or drink food that is unsafe.If food preparation is one of  your loved ones only issues, you may consider signing up for Meals on Wheels.  This fantastic program helps seniors stay independent as long as  possible by removing cooking out of their daily tasks. Even though the  program provides one good meal to the senior each day, this may be  enough calories to provide your loved one with adequate energy so that  he or she only needs to eat a light evening meal.If your loved one is  experiencing unexplained weight loss, this may be a sign that he or she  is not eating enough daily. This may be a sign that it is time to  transition to an in-home caregiver where food can be monitored. 

As the senior citizens’ health decreases, their  need for specialists and doctors increase. Perhaps your parent needs to  see a physical or occupational therapist, a wound care specialist, and a  medical doctor once a week. Maybe your parent requires daily dialysis  or chemotherapy. 

Sometimes a senior citizens’ body remains healthy, but their minds may deteriorate. If your loved one suffers from dementia,  their personalities may change, and a mild-mannered person may become  aggressive. This aggression can manifest into destructive behavior. When  this happens, for the safety of you and your loved one, it may be time  for in-home senior care. 

Maybe you’ve taken the car keys away or disabled  your loved one’s vehicle. Regardless, there is little you can do to keep  your loved one from walking out the door and wandering away. Perhaps  your loved one may step outside the door intending upon returning and  get locked out accidentally. If this occurs during extreme temperatures,  the results may be horrible. 

If you can’t physically keep up with the demands  of caring for your loved one, it may be time to seek an elderly in-home  care provider.How is your back health? Are you able to lift and move  your loved one? Caring for a person who can’t move is physically  demanding, and not everyone has the ability to perform those tasks.  Employees at care facilities have the equipment and training to help  them to perform these tasks. 

If the senior citizen is not able to take the  necessary medication correctly, it may be time to get professional  senior home care. While you may help your parent fill his or her weekly  pill container, your mom or dad still may forget to take the pills. Even  though the pill containers are marked with the day, sometimes seniors  may forget what day it is and take more medication than what is safe for  their bodies. If this is the case, it may be time for your loved one to  receive elderly home care. 

If your loved one asks to go to a facility or get  an in-home caregiver, listen to him or her. While most of the time  senior citizens don’t want to leave home, sometimes they realize that  they aren’t able to live by themselves safely. If your loved one is  social, maybe they want to be around others their own age. Perhaps they  will look forward to the interactions that a care facility or in-home  caregiver would provide. 

If you aren’t able to meet your own obligations  or maintain your health, it may be time to hire a senior caregiver.  Sometimes family members are torn between providing help to their  parents while still being a parent themselves. Both relationships are  important. Perhaps spending time with one leaves your feeling guilty  that you are not spending quality time with the other.We have other  responsibilities besides caring for our family. Most of us need to work  to support ourselves financially. If you are unable to meet your  financial obligations, it may be time to call a reputable senior care  agency.