18 Sep Steps to Getting Home Healthcare Services for Your Parents
As our parents age, making sure that their livelihoods are well kept, happy, healthy and fulfilling can be quite a daunting task. Sometimes uprooting your own life or even theirs is next to impossible and completely impractical. However, there are services that can aid your family and yourself with activities of daily life or medical needs. But what are the right steps that need to be taken to make sure everyone is completely satisfied and living their best life?
Talk with your parents.
Have an open and honest dialogue with them to figure out their level of comfort and what they believe is appropriate to meet their needs of the activities in their daily lives. This can be daily tasks such as feeding, dressing, bathing, eating or even hygiene. Other vital tasks worth discussing include driving, cooking, cleaning or medication assistance. These conversations
Talk to other family members.
Whether it is siblings, cousins or aunts and uncles, their opinions and viewpoints can be fruitful in helping gather further relevant information or assisting with finding the right provider.
Talk to their doctor(s).
Families aren’t entirely 100% honest all of the time. Nor should we expect our parents to be completely open about their health needs when talking with us. Speaking with a medical professional that knows your parents can help guide you in the right direction for making appropriate decisions.
Discuss an appropriate budget.
This is a big step that cannot be easily overlooked. It is important to be aware ahead of time how much you are willing to spend so you can choose the most comprehensive services for you and your family. Keep in mind that there are services that can help guide you through this process. Once you’ve figured out the amount you, your parents and (possibly) other loved ones are willing to spend on suitable care, it’s time to…
Figure out the best fitting options.
Research. Research. Research. Think of Goldilocks and the three bears! You will want to find the benefits and possible problems that could arise from facilities, assisted living or home care in order to find the most apt one that fits just right. During this time, write down, call, email and ask very specific questions pertaining to your situation and requirements for quality care within your lifestyle and situation.
Time to Choose.
Hopefully by now, your loved ones and yourself have come to an agreement on moving forward with hiring a home healthcare service. Senior home healthcare providers are able to answer your particular questions about the process, staff, and any other inquiries that may arise. Agencies, like Family Tree, are the best option when seeking senior home healthcare due to the many capacities that go into quality care.
Communication and education are your essential tools to success when navigating the difficult road of elderly care. Keeping your parents, family members and medical professionals involved through the process can alleviate much of the stress, fear and uncertainty.