The statement “there’s no place like home” is never truer than in the case of elderly persons who want to be around people and things they’re familiar with as they continue to age. It’s during this stage in their lives that seniors start experiencing difficulty with daily activities they’d normally perform with ease, such as going up and down the stairs, crossing the road, or driving. Many elderly people, therefore, prefer to stay home while being taken care of instead of moving to a facility; at home, they feel more confident and comfortable with their surroundings.
According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), more than 8,000 home healthcare agencies serve 2.4 million elderly and disabled individuals annually, including those living in Fairfax, Virginia. Many of the patients have disabilities or medical conditions, while some are recovering from surgery or other treatments, and they could benefit from in-home care and assisted living in Fairfax, VA.
Special Care Needs
Persons with health conditions like Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, in addition to physical disabilities, need special care routines. They may not be able to prepare meals or feed themselves, follow the special diet the doctors prescribed, or remember to take their medicines on time. In-home care services can help with meal preparation, feeding, and medication reminders. Although the non-nursing staff are not allowed to administer the medicines themselves, they could help identify appropriate medicines and open bottles for the seniors.
Customized Care
In-home care services from companies like Comfort Keepers of Fairfax, VA provide customized care to accommodate the senior’s specific needs or preferences, such as grooming, toilet assistance, help in positioning, or having short walks or exercises. Caregivers are also trained to handle household tasks like laundry, vacuuming, dusting, and grocery shopping. For patients in serious cases or live alone, most in-home care staff are equipped for extended caregiving, such as 24-hour care or live-in care, to ensure patients are comfortable and watched over.
Better Caregiver-Client Relationship
In-home caregivers form a closer relationship with the patients than the physicians. In many cases, they’re better able to assess moods and conditions based on their daily interaction with the patients than the doctor or the relative. For seniors left alone with the caregivers, the latter become their sounding board, friend, and chat mate. Caregivers can also become their driver/assistant/companion when they want to do errands on their own.
The CMS found that certain provisions in a home setup such as the relative freedom of patients, as well as the training of their caregivers, positively affect the overall results of in-home care. With Fairfax assisted living services and in-home care, seniors can live a quality life in their twilight years.
Sources:
Chapter 13 Patient Safety and Quality in Home Health Care. Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Guide to In-Home Care Services. Fairfaxcounty.gov
Comfort Keepers of Fairfax, VA 