Aging at Home: What Family Caregivers Need to Consider
Personal Care at Home in Monroe NJ
Your dad’s desire to age at home is possible as long as he has the support he needs. If you’re uncomfortable providing the help he needs with grooming and hygiene, you’re not alone. It’s one of the most challenging areas for family caregivers. Here’s what your family needs to consider about aging in place and how personal care at home can help.
Is Your Dad’s Home Equipped for Aging at Home?
When your dad struggles to take care of his hygiene and grooming tasks on his own, bathroom safety must be addressed. Some of the things he’s going to need include a shower seat, grab bars, and non-slip bath mats.
If he cannot lift his leg over the side of a tub and there are no shower stalls in the home, a sliding transfer shower seat is best. He’ll sit on it, and you’ll lift his legs while sliding him into the tub. Lock the seat and help him shower. When he’s done, reverse the process.
Does he have grab bars installed for support around the toilet and inside and outside of the shower? His safety needs to be considered. If he can step in and out of a bathtub or shower, grab bars are helpful for support. Non-slip mats also help lower the risk of a fall.
Who Has the Availability to Help Out?
As your dad’s care needs increase, who is available to help him? As the retirement age for many people is around 65, aging parents often don’t have children who have already retired. Do your brothers and sisters have any free time when they can help out?
Balancing your job and your dad’s care needs is going to be a problem you face. It’s often best to look into getting help from a professional caregiver than to risk losing your income and employment benefits.
What Health Issues Does He Have?
Does your dad have any health issues? If he has dementia, his need for care will slowly increase. Be prepared to quickly address his changing needs.
A stroke may not give you any warning signs, so it helps to have discussed what he’d want to happen if he had a stroke and needed help with personal care at home. Would he want you to help him or someone else?
How Far Is He From Services?
How far is your dad from services? If he has a medical alert system and needed help, how long would it take for EMTs to reach him? If he fell in the shower, are you close by or would it take you an hour or two to reach him?
If he’s a distance away, it’s a good idea to have a caregiver in the home when he’s showering. He’ll have someone for support and that lowers the risk of a fall.
There’s a way to make everyone happy. Arrange personal care at home services to help your dad with hygiene and grooming. Your dad has the help he needs with those daily activities, and that makes him more comfortable as he’s not at his most vulnerable in front of you. Talk to a personal care at home advisor to schedule personal care aides.
If you or an aging loved one is considering personal care at home in Monroe, NJ, please contact the caring staff at Care Street Home Care today. Call (732) 607-8870.
The Care Street mission is straightforward and compelling: to provide a comprehensive range of the highest quality home health services in a professional and efficient manner that will enhance our clients' quality of life and empower families to keep their loved one at home.
Care Street has earned a reputation of excellence among hundreds of families, and is recommended by medical professionals and hospital discharge planners throughout the State.
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