3 Signs That Home Health Is Right For Your Loved One

Having an aging loved one can be very stressful. You might worry about their emotional health as well as their physical health and safety. In order to have peace of mind it is important that you take precautions to protect them. Some elderly people choose an assisted living facility, but others do not want to leave their home so their family hires home health care, like In Your Home Care. Here are some things you need to know about hiring home health care.

1. Your Loved One Should Still Be Somewhat Independent

The people who are the best candidates for home health care are those that still have some independence and can get around the house. For instance, if they need 24-hour assistance, home health care may become too stressful and expensive. Instead, the individual should be able to be home in his or her own at nights, and perhaps even get themselves up in the morning. They don't need to be able to dress and bathe themselves or cook their own meals, but they shouldn't need help simply moving throughout the house.

If your loved one needs a lot of help, or help that may require two individuals, then you should consider a live in facility. Home health is ideal for those who simply cannot be alone, but are still able to care for themselves in small ways.

2. Your Loved One Should Have Family Help

Another thing that is important is having help from family. Home health should not be a replacement for family. The best situations are where the family and the home health faculty can work together to care for the individual. For instance, the home health could come a couple days a week and the family help the others. This is the most ideal situation for home health. If there is no family nearby or able to assist, you may want to consider a live in facility. It may be too much to ask the home health to take care of the house and the individual on their own.

3. Your Loved One Is Showing The Signs That They Need More Assistance

Lastly, you shouldn't hire home health until your loved one is showing signs that they need more help. Because your loved one is getting older, you might think they must need help, but this is not always the truth. Many elderly individuals are perfectly capable of caring for themselves.

Some signs that your loved one needs more assistance is that they cannot make meals for themselves, need help dressing, are forgetting to take medications and so forth.

By knowing these things you can determine if home health is right for your loved one. 


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