Residential
Home Care
The Best Solution
 Residential home care,
also known as in home care, is the most common and popular of
all primary care arrangements. It quickly addresses many family
needs. However, before deciding if residential care is the answer,
you must make the determination if your parents, or loved one,
require help. Even if it is determined that residential care
is not required, do take the opportunity to discuss this matter
with your loved one now. Don't wait until it is necessary
and answers must come quickly. An open and honest discussion
now will save time, money, hasty decisions and possibly hurt
feelings.
Residential home care is appropriate
when an individual desires to stay at home but requires some
form of assistance. This support can be provided by a family
member, friend or a home care service agency that specializes
in residential home care. It has been shown that as a society,
we would rather be independent and not a burden upon our families.
Residential home care provides a means to do just that, within
limits.
As people age, they begin to show signs of diminishing abilities.
This does not necessarily mean they are incapable of making decisions,
but they may not be making wise ones or some motor skills may
be difficult to perform. It may be that their driving
skills are not as sharp as they used to be, so it's
time to discuss discontinuing driving.
Or maybe during the last visit with Mom or Dad you noticed that
they were not eating well. Where are they spending their money
- this is usually a good tale-tale sign that something is not
right. Skimping on meals due to financial issues was my first
clue that my Dad was not taking care of himself and required
some form of assistance or home care.
Assessment
The most appropriate residential care can be determined, usually,
if an assessment is conducted. A
family can perform
this assessment or they may rely upon a professional
who can assist. Once the assessment has been completed, you
can now determine if residential care is appropriate. The information
acquired can guide the decision to keep your loved one in their
current home with care provided, determine if you should provide
the care in your home, or if a home care services agency should
provide the care.
The important aspect of becoming the primary care decision
maker is understanding that your parents or loved one is, and
continues to be, an adult. I realize this sounds trivial, but
at times you may begin to lose sight of this. Allow me to put
this into perspective.
Be sure you listen to your loved one. Don't assume that they
can not make decisions just because they have not made some appropriate
ones recently. Respect goes a long way. The goal is to allow
as much control by your loved one of their lives as much as possible.
You are there to provide assistance in whatever was determined
via the assessment.
Home is where the Heart is
If at all possible, it is best to keep your loved in the community
where they are now. They are familiar with the area, and it is
their home. While in the role of the health care provider, whether
it is yourself or a home care services agency providing the care,
you or they will realize a more cooperative individual if they
are able to stay in their own home, or at least in their own
community.
 The
role of the health care provider can become quite extensive as
the loved one becomes more dependent on others to provide for basic daily
living needs. It will become
incumbent upon you to decide if you desire to fully undertake
the care of your loved one, or allow someone else to become more
involved.
If your loved one lives quite some distance from you, and
a home care services agency is the primary care giver, then you
may need to increase the type of care services, which brings
with it other issues, such as time to interview
the care provider, cost, time spent with a loved one. If
unable to afford a residential home care provider agency, you
must decide whether to move the loved one into your home or move
them into a new closer residence, such as an apartment or assisted
care facility.
Listed below are a few articles and checklists that can assist
you in making the best decision about residential home care.
Be sure to share them with your loved one.
Role of Health Care Provider
When researching which is the best residential home care provider,
understand there is only one that can be the best - it is you.
However, it is understood due to many circumstances that we can
not always be the primary care giver. If the decision is to utilize
a service for residential home care, be sure you understand their
history.
There are many organizations that provide primary home care
solutions; but will they meet your loved one's needs? A description
of the varied residential home care providers can be located
through this site, along
with a checklist to
determine who can meet yours and your loved one's wishes.
If you decide that the best residential home care can only
come from you, or that it is the only solution due to circumstances,
whether by choice or thrust upon you, be sure that you take care
of yourself. One of the issues that primary care givers deal
with is they forget to take care of themselves while taking care
of an elderly parent, family member, or friend at home. Here
are some guidelines to follow. Remember, you don't have to
do it alone.
You can hire a residential home care provider to assist you.
Maybe you require assistance with bathing your loved one, or
they require a form of exercise or therapy you are unable to
provide due to time. A residential home care provider professional
can assist with these tasks, but does not have to be at the home
on a daily or consistent basis. Or just maybe your loved one
would like to spend time with others in which they can interact.
An Adult Day Care
facility would meet this need. Some things to think about.
Seeking Information
When seeking a primary care provider, ensure you have exhausted
the information at this web site. But also ask around. Talk to
neighbors, friends, and even doctors to acquire the information
you are seeking for a residential home care solution. Some areas
to seek in home care provider information are: your physician
or hospital discharge planner, your state's department of health, aging, and
social services, and your state home care and hospice associations. Researching here is time well spent
when determining what residential home care information is available,
and what solutions can resolve your circumstances. It is hoped
you find everything you require here. Please
drop us a note if you are unable to find everything,
so that we can ensure we add it to the site to assist you, and
others. Home Health Care Solutions is a community; we
are all in this together.
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