There comes a time in everybody’s life that they get to an age where they will require more care. It is a tough time, especially for people who have been fiercely independent throughout their lives. The thought of somebody caring for them is the furthest thing from their mind.
When the time comes that your parents require elderly care, whether it is for one parent or both, the best position to be in is to be able to get that care in their own home. Although nursing homes can be great, they are not the first choice for most people. If you have lived in your home for four or five decades, you would rather stay there, rather than move to a new, strange place.
Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of having home elderly care:
Less Stressful For Your Parents
When your parents begin to receive care, it is a stressful time. It can make them feel like their independence is being stripped away, and can lead to a deterioration in mental and physical health, especially if there is a big upheaval from their beloved home into a care facility.
After the initial set up, where the home may have to be adjusted to suit the home care, including installing a new bathtub, new railings around the home, stairlifts, etc., your parents will begin to settle back into old routines and habits, safe in the knowledge that they are in their own home.
Familiar Surroundings Can Help With Mental Health
Your parents will react in a positive way to being in familiar surroundings, particularly if they have dementia, Alzheimer’s or any other mental health issues. Suddenly being around strangers in a home will not be as good for their long-term health as having their immediate family within reach every day, even if they are not going to be the full-time caregivers.
It is a good idea to ease your caregivers in slowly, even if it is driving them to doctor’s appointments or cleaning the home once or twice a week so that the period of adjustment doesn’t lead to more stress for your parents.
100% Support at all Times
One of the biggest advantages of home care over nursing home care is that the caregivers are there for you and only you and that often leads to them establishing solid and lasting relationships with the people they care for, which is a fantastically rewarding experience for you and your parents to have.
Long Island Elder Care Services is known to send a consultant to speak with you and your parents to establish exactly what their needs are and give advice on everything from applying for extra funding from Medicaid and more. It’s peace of mind that you won’t get unless you have home elderly care.
It Avoids Any Family Conflict
It is never an easy conversation that begins the process of getting care for your parents, and it is even more difficult if you disagree on what should your parents care should be. The likelihood of all parties being against home care is unlikely, as most people would take that over a nursing home, and that should put an end to any conflict between family members, which is always a good thing.
In order to keep the peace between everybody, try to arrange a schedule for each sibling to come and visit, do some cleaning or do any jobs that might need doing that wouldn’t be expected from caregivers. It will keep familial relations strong and make it less stressful for your parents, who are bound to pick up on any signs of conflict.