By Maria Burke, RN, Owner, Celtic Angels Home Health Care
When many people think of caregiving services, they think only of the basics–medication, bathing, assistance with using the commode, and other homemaking services. And while these are essential services for seniors who need them, a caregiver service includes so much more! Here are five benefits they will enjoy with a caregiver service.
- Help with Meals
It’s not always easy for seniors to shop for groceries or prepare meals. And if your family members are working, perhaps raising children, they may have a difficult time caring for their beloved senior. Preparing healthy meals will often fall to the bottom of the priority list. Fortunately, that’s something a caregiver service can do. For example, our caregivers can help seniors with meal planning, grocery shopping, meal preparation, and even washing the dishes.
- Housekeeping
While a caregiver service is not a housekeeping service, caregivers can help your senior around the house. For instance, caregivers can assist with things like doing the laundry, making the bed, caring for houseplants, or organizing your senior loved one’s room. And getting all those small tasks out of the way makes life easier for both seniors and their loved ones, reducing stress.
- Activities and Transportation
Seniors frequently experience loneliness, even when living with family. They can’t always get out to do the things they love to do, and family members are often busy with other responsibilities. That’s where a caregiver service comes in. Caregivers can provide transportation, take seniors to visit friends or attend events, play games, celebrate birthdays, record memories, and more.
- Personal Care
Caring for someone’s needs 24/7 often leads to caregiver burnout. No matter how much you love the senior in your life, it can be overwhelming to manage all of his or her needs by yourself, and your senior could end up feeling like a burden. Professional caregivers can help.
A caregiver service can assist your senior loved one with a multitude of personal care tasks, like grooming, bathing, oral hygiene, brushing hair, dressing, using the commode, shaving, and skin care. You’ll enjoy having a much-needed break, and your seniors will enjoy looking and feeling their best.
- Skilled Nursing
Many conditions now can be managed at home with the help of a caregiver service, so you no longer need to place your beloved senior in a nursing home or assisted living facility. A caregiver service can also help seniors return home sooner after a hospital visit. Here are just a few of the skilled nursing tasks a caregiver service can provide:
• G-tube feeding
• I.V. therapy
• Catheter care
• Medication management
• Diabetic education
• Attending medical appointments
• Wound care
• Communicating with the medical team
• Hospice care
• And much more!
Working with a caregiver service helps your loved one age well at home. It takes some of the burden off the primary caregiver while allowing your senior to enjoy a full range of social, emotional, recreational, and physical benefits. And that leads to less stress and more happiness for everyone in the home.
Would you like to learn more about the benefits of hiring an in-home health care service? Call Celtic Angels Home Health Care or visit www.celticangelsinc.com for additional information about the services we provide. We will set up an appointment to meet with you and your loved one to conduct a needs assessment and provide the recommendations you need.
