An in-home caregiver can make sure that your elderly parent is well cared for when nobody else is around to keep an eye on them. In addition to prescription medication management and basic healthcare services, the senior home care services you decide to hire for your parent should offer:
Meal Planning, Prepping, and Feeding
Your parent's new in-home caregiver should be able and willing to plan and prepare your parent's meals for them throughout the week, and even feed them if necessary. Based on your parent's dietary restrictions, their caregiver should plan meals and shopping lists for the week and then prepare the meals on a daily or weekly basis so they're ready to pull out of the freezer and heat up.
If your parent can't heat meals and eat them on their own, the caregiver will schedule their visits around mealtimes to provide the feeding support that is required. And the caregiver will coordinate dietary changes that your parent's doctor might prescribe as time goes on to ensure that every meal meets the doctor's standards.
Personal Hygiene Support
Another service your parent's in-home caregiver should offer is personal hygiene support. Whether it's bathing, brushing teeth and hair, or just washing clothes, the caregiver will have the tools and knowledge needed to professional assist your parent and make sure that they're safe. And the caregiver can recommend natural personal hygiene products for your parent that won't expose them to toxins or cause negative side effects like drying skin.
Transportation Services
When your parent needs to go to a doctor's appointment, a support group meeting, or even a social function, their caregiver should be able to provide the necessary transportation. If you let the caregiver know about planned outings and healthcare appointments ahead of time, they'll be able to schedule their in-home visits around those outings and ensure that your parent safely gets to and from their destination. And they should provide a safe and fully insured vehicle to drive your parent in.
Companionship
As an elderly person who lives alone, chances are that your parent gets lonely at least once in a while when they're spending time at home. Luckily, in-home caregivers are typically personable and enjoy creating friendships with their patients. You can expect your parent to have someone to talk to whenever their caregiver is around.
Your parent's caregiver should spend time doing things like play cards, watch movies, and do arts and crafts with your parent when they don't have any other needs that need to be taken care of. And they should be available by phone when your parent has a question or concern even when they aren't scheduled to visit.
Share9 August 2019
Hiring a home care nurse can make things much easier to deal with for so many families. How do you choose the home care service that you use? Is there anything that you can do to make the nurse's job a little easier to accomplish each day. My blog is all about hiring a home care nurse and utilizing all of the services offered by the company. It is my hope that my years of having a home care nurse in my home will help you to find a comfortable and pleasant arrangement that keeps your family member comfortable and healthy for years to come.