Page 3 - Home Care – A Better Life

Is my elderly parent safe
at home?
Living independently at home starts with
a safe environment that is low-maintenance, easy to move around and not socially isolated. Ask yourself: how safe is my parent’s home?
Is it on one level or does it have lots of stairs
and steep hills? Is it close to shops, community and transport? Is it easy to keep clean, tidy, and free from clutter? Are cupboards easy to reach without climbing ladders? Is the garden and exterior low-maintenance? Can I install grab rails in bathrooms?
Do your parents have regular
visitors to support them in
the home?
If your elderly relative lives alone, social isolation and loneliness can impact their health and wellbeing. It can impact their physical health
if they stop eating main meals or lose motivation to be active. Their mental health can decline
if they don’t have visitors to brighten their day. Having friends, family or neighbours call or pop in for a cuppa throughout the week can make a big difference - although this type of informal contact needs to be consistent and reliable, which may not be possible. Alternatively, a professional in-home carer can visit regularly and monitor your parent’s wellbeing while also providing practical assistance.
Does your parent have an illness requiring regular medical appointments and therapies?
If your parent has a health condition such
as heart disease, dementia or diabetes,
it can be a major source of worry for families. Visits to the doctor, hospital or pharmacy can take up most the day and create anxiety for elderly patients. Remembering to take the right pills at the right time can be confusing and stressful. A highly-trained in-home carer is trained to manage these situations and provide calm, professional assistance. Many professional carers are trained
to communicate effectively with someone living with dementia and engage appropriately with people with poor mental health.
A better life
at home checklist
Do your parents ever insist
on ‘not being a burden’?
Many parents have experienced their own parents growing old and needing care from those around
them. In previous generations when aged care
fell to children to provide, being a ‘burden’ meant a loss of dignity and feeling helpless. It came from an era when there were few alternatives. Today, people have much more options to get help when they need it. We are comfortable hiring
a tradesperson, nanny or professional to perform all kinds of domestic tasks previously managed
by family members. A professional in-home carer undertakes care services in much the same way, so the word ‘burden’ is no longer relevant.
Are your parents active
in the community and want
to maintain their social life?
Being socially active is wonderful. Losing this connection for any reason – not being able
to drive anymore, for example – can be a huge and demoralising loss. The goal of in-home care
is to maintain social connections with the support of a carer. Often it can be as simple as providing transport to the local club and companionship over a cup of coffee.
Is your parent a deeply private person?
Trusting others to help is much harder for someone who prefers privacy and solitude.
In some cases, friends may not be the most appropriate people to assist, especially if your parent needs assistance with dressing or showering. This is why you should be very selective and only engage highly-skilled, professional and respectful in-home carers who understand a person’s need for privacy. Reliability, training and consistency are also key considerations, and an organisation with long- serving carers is a plus.