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Keeping Your Loved One At Home: Elderly Home Care

As parents and other loved ones age, it often becomes more and more difficult for them to keep up with all the tasks that independent living demands. Yet many elders are reluctant to move to a retirement community or assisted living facility, fearing that they will lose their independence. The solution can be elderly home care, or having someone come in to the home to help.

Here are some of the types of services that in-home elder care can provide:

  • Companionship – Senior citizens, especially those who are widowed or divorced and live alone, can find themselves going for several days or longer without having another person to talk to. Even if there are adult children or other friends or relatives nearby, they become busy with their own jobs and families, and may not be able to visit as often as needed. A paid companion can come in to the home and just spend time chatting, or may take the senior out to visit other friends, run errands, or go on outing.
  • Housekeeping – Dusting furniture, changing and making beds, laundry, and cleaning kitchens and bathrooms are all chores that, if neglected, can easily become overwhelming for seniors. Having a caregiver come into the home on a regular basis can keep the senior citizen's home clean and healthy.
  • Errand and transportation services – Giving up driving doesn't mean having to give up your home, as long as a senior citizen has someone to drive them to doctor's appointments, to the grocery store, to church, to the hairdresser, or to pick up dry cleaning or prescriptions. Having a care provider whose job it is to do the driving when needed can take a large burden off of nearby adult children and other relatives.
  • Non-medical home care – Many seniors need help with so-called 'Activities of Daily Living,' including eating, dressing, toileting, and transferring from the bed to the chair. They may also need help taking or remembering to take medications, or help with grocery shopping and meal preparation. In-home caregivers can help with all of these tasks, and others that do not require a nurse or other medical professional.

Keeping senior citizens independent and in their homes may help them maintain their independence and quality of life. Being able to rely on qualified caregiver services can do this, even if there are no nearby friends or relatives who are able to help.


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