Parent Care Blog
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What Services Are Offered From Home Health Care Agencies?

Over 65 million Americans balance work, children, and caring for a loved one who is ill, disabled, or aging. Juggling these tasks each and every day, as well as making difficult emotional decisions, can leave you feeling exhausted. That’s why it’s important to know the options available to you, such as partnering with one of New York’s home health care agencies. Doing so helps you meet multiple daily challenges and keeps care in the family.

What Services Are Offered From Home Health Care Agencies?

Home health care agencies tailor services to meet the specific needs of you and your loved one. From assistance with daily living activities to occasional respite care, the goal is to personalize each patient’s plan. Assistance can also be adjusted to meet long- or short-term needs.

Personalized Care Plans

Licensed in-home health aides do more than help around the house, however. They interact with patients in a compassionate way, listening attentively to their needs and learning about their lives.

And with a customized care plan, we can incorporate activities your loved one enjoys doing, such as putting together puzzles or watching old movies. The goal is to look at your loved one as a whole person and construct a plan around their needs.

Help With Household Chores

We understand that just because your loved one remains in the comfort of home doesn’t mean he or she can keep up with household chores. That’s why we offer assistance with light cleaning and laundry, both of which can maintain a safe and healthy living environment. Knowing these tasks are handled can additionally ease stress for your senior and help free time in your busy schedule.

Dietary Monitoring

Good nutrition is the cornerstone of health and well-being. But with age, healthy eating habits decline for a few different reasons. One of these is loss of smell; dental concerns and changing digestive needs also contribute.

In addition, adults age 65 and older, those recently discharged from a hospital, and people with chronic conditions are likely to be at risk nutritionally; appetites are already low, and fatigue can make eating that much more difficult.

An Easy Solution

A home care plan may include home-cooked meals and nutritional counseling to provide the nourishment your loved one needs. For instance, more fruits and vegetables may need to be incorporated into a daily diet, as well as healthy fats like fish, coconut oil, and avocado. We can help monitor the foods your senior eats and ensure orders from a doctor or nutritionist are followed.

Special dietary needs can also be part of a grocery shopping plan. We understand getting to the store is difficult when you’re juggling multiple tasks, which is why we offer this service to our patients. With a list to follow, we can help place the right foods in your senior’s home and safeguard against malnutrition.

Errand Running

Everyone can use occasional help with errands, especially seniors who can no longer drive or are recovering from illness. Some of those most commonly performed for New York residents include:

  • Mailing packages
  • Washing the car
  • Picking up supplies
  • Retrieving prescriptions
  • Returning items to the store
  • Dropping off dry cleaning

Meaningful Companionship

We hear the word companionship often used when speaking of seniors, probably because a few hours of attention, friendship, and company can provide truly powerful benefits. These results are more than hearsay; they’re backed by a growing body of research that confirms companionship can improve your loved one’s self-esteem and life satisfaction.

Home health aides are well-suited to providing emotional support and friendship. We mentioned earlier a care plan can be built around a senior’s hobbies, whether that means playing a game or helping them make new friends at a community center.

What Science Tells Us

While it may seem minor, helping your loved one develop these social bonds is incredibly important. One in four adults between the ages of 50 and 80 reportedly feel isolated from others, and one in three indicate they lack regular companionship. When repeatedly experienced, a sense of isolation can be as bad for your senior’s health as smoking cigarettes.

Studies further show seniors who maintain strong social bonds, including building a connection with a companion, have lower chances of developing age-related conditions like osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, and Alzheimer’s disease. Seniors engaged in social activities also report lower rates of disability and higher physical mobility scores.

Help with Daily Living Activities

Over time, older adults often feel nervous about losing their independence. After a lifetime of self-sufficiency, it can be stressful to feel they’re losing the ability to complete ordinary daily tasks. Family caregivers also experience a range of emotions, fearing a role reversal with their parents in which they must now provide assistance with tasks like bathing.

This is where help from a home health aide can be invaluable. They are trained to assist with activities like dressing, bathing, and grooming. Having someone outside the family assist with these activities can make everyone feel a little more comfortable. And seniors still continue to feel they’re retaining much of their independence.

Walking Assistance and Fall Prevention

Walking comes with a host of benefits, and in New York, plenty of parks and other scenery can be enjoyed when the weather is nice. Just a few minutes a day can help with weight management, lower risk of heart disease, and strengthen bones. In fact, research suggests walking regularly could halve hip fractures in people over 45.

But many seniors are unsteady on their feet because of lost muscle tone or poor balance. Dependable care brought to your home can help your loved one safely walk, turn, and transfer. This can boost their confidence and improve overall physical strength.

Be There When You Cannot

Sometimes family members are separated by physical distance, and other times, work obligations must be met. Home health care can fill in these gaps and be with your loved one when you cannot.

Trained and qualified professionals who come into the home can mean the difference between keeping your senior in familiar surroundings and putting him or her into assisted living. And you can trust home health aides to provide a level of care equal to family, from making simple corrections in the home – such as covering a slippery floor with a mat – to providing transportation services for appointments.

A Service with Many Benefits

A family enjoys many benefits with in-home care, including preserving the dignity of your loved one. He or she receives the appropriate level of care in a place where they feel safe and secure. Unlike in a nursing home or skilled care facility, your senior isn’t forced to share their personal quarters or bathroom with another person. They can also accept company without limitations, enjoy private conversations, and take phone calls when they want.

In addition, your loved one won’t be subject to different caregivers every day; instead, they can often see the same one or two providers with whom they’re able to develop a trusting relationship. Caregivers are matched to patients according to the plan we develop and your loved one’s interests and personality. These factors help put your senior at ease and provide you with peace of mind.

For many families, home health care agencies provide the exact support needed to manage caregiving responsibilities. From help with daily activities to grocery shopping, these tasks are handled with warmth and compassion. Learn the ways a home health aide can provide care for your loved one in New York by contacting ParentCare today.

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