If you or a loved one have reached a stage in life where living completely unassisted is no longer possible but don’t like the idea of moving to a care facility, home health care services in New York are an excellent alternative. Many individuals are unaware of this option, and may be quick to ask, “what is home health care?” Parent Care offers medical and assistive services for individuals in Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and the Bronx.
What Are the Benefits of Home Health Care Over Assisted Living in New York?
There are numerous reasons that home health care services are preferable to assisted care facilities. While some individuals may have such severe injury or illness that remaining in their own home is no longer an option, most individuals thrive when they can stay in their own space.
What Is Home Health Care?
Home health care is assistance you receive at your home from professional, trained aides. At Parent Care, our team can help with everything from everyday activities such as hygiene and household chores to changing the dressing on bandages and providing transportation to medical appointments.
The services we offer are as varied as the needs of our clients, and care is personalized in a way that facilities cannot replicate.
Reasons to Choose Home Health Care
Increased Independence
Many aging adults put off pursuing the assistance they need because they feel they will be patronized. This concern is understandable because moving to an assisted living facility can require giving up the independence most of us take for granted. Instead of having their usual meals, hobbies, and self-care routines, individuals in assisted living centers will have to adjust to a set schedule designed by the center.
At Parent Care, the answer we give to individuals who ask, “what is home health care, and why do I need it?” is that home health care provides you or your loved one with the assistance you need to maintain your health and quality of life without sacrificing independence. Home health care can allow you or your loved one to spend the golden years doing things you enjoy in a place you love while still having professionals assist you as needed.
Fewer Health Problems
One of the struggles with assisted care facilities is that residents are susceptible to illness due to the proximity of residents. Communicable diseases spread through centers, and it’s common for the entire facility to catch whatever virus is brought into the building. In a post-pandemic world where Covid-19 is still a hazard to vulnerable populations, care centers can place residents at risk because it is impossible to prevent transmission from occurring.
When you or your loved one receives home health care services, you remain in control of the individuals coming and going from your home. Additionally, your risk of contracting a virus from a care provider is significantly lowered. Our team members take precautions to mitigate the spreading of germs. We respect your health and home too much to risk bringing in germs, so employees who believe they might be ill will have a replacement step in for them to protect you.
Affordability
Care facilities are expensive, and ones that provide a premium level of care are out of the price range of many individuals. This cost can cause a drain on you or your family’s finances that causes unnecessary stress.
Receiving care in your home is less expensive since you only pay for care and services, not lodging. For example, a center would have you paying extra because the facility cooks and serves you breakfast, but you may not need that service. With home health care, you only purchase what you need, drastically reducing your bill. The state of New York also offers tax relief to individuals paying for home health care that can provide you with additional savings.
Maintain Community Ties
Moving a family member to an assisted living facility can cut them off from their social circle and cause them to feel disconnected and alone, even though other residents surround them. In addition, maintaining relationships becomes more challenging once an individual has been moved to a home, which can intensify feelings of depression and isolation.
Using home health care services enables your loved ones to maintain their friendships and feel a part of the community, whether they live in Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, or the Bronx. Whether they like to actively engage by walking to visit others and going to the library or prefer to enjoy the company of others more passively by waving at neighbors from the porch or chatting on a trip to the mailbox, their habits will not be disturbed.
Improved Recovery Time
Studies have shown that patients recover from surgeries and illnesses more quickly in their homes than at a hospital or care facility. This recovery speed is partially due to the lack of exposure to germs and viruses and partly because they have the freedom to care for themselves the way they need to recover more quickly.
With home health care services, individuals get the care they need to recover without the risks and restrictions that accompany time in a care facility or hospital. Home health care blends professional care and the comforts of home for the ideal recovery experience.
Emotional Support
Staff members work different shifts at care facilities, take new jobs, or are assigned to other units, which can make establishing relationships challenging. Since the opportunities for social interaction become limited as individuals age, this revolving door of caregivers doesn’t allow for genuine relationships to form.
Parent Care stands out from facilities and other home care services because of our commitment to pairing the right caregiver and client. When someone is providing you with care every day, you want that person to be someone whose company you enjoy. We work hard to match clients and caregivers because we want clients to look forward to interacting with their caregivers and vice versa.
Tailored Care
A care facility might meet the needs of you or your loved one, but they won’t have the ability to go above and beyond the bare necessities due to the volume of clients they have. The ratio of staff to clients makes it impossible to provide customized care.
Having a home health care aide that focuses on only the needs of you or your loved one ensures that the care received is tailored. One-on-one care makes an enormous difference in improving quality of life because clients can live the way they prefer.
Choose Parent Care: Serving Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and the Bronx
When deciding whether a care facility or home health care services are best for you or your family member, you’ll want to consider medical needs, community involvement, affordability, and numerous other factors. Most individuals will benefit from staying in their homes as long as possible. In addition to standard health care, Parent Care offers hospice and palliative care services to provide individuals the comfort and dignity they deserve during the closing of their life.
If you believe home health care could be a solution for you or a loved one, we would love to answer any questions and set up a time for you to meet with one of our experts. Contact Parent Care today and find the support you and your family deserve.
