10 Surprising Things You Didn't Know About Home Care

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Home care is a booming industry, and it’s only going to continue to grow in popularity. If you’re looking for in-home care for yourself or a loved one, here are ten surprising things you didn’t know about home care that will reduce your worries and give you a better understanding of the benefits. 

1. Prevents more expensive types of care.

Home care services are the perfect solution for people who need help managing tasks at home. In-home care services provide peace of mind to families by offering supportive assistance with tasks like medication reminders, meal preparation, personal hygiene, and light housekeeping, which can delay or prevent more costly care out of the home like assisted living communities or nursing homes. 

2. Offers a wide range of services. 

Home care agencies serve clients from adults to seniors. While some may only offer non-medical care, others provide a combination of companionship services, personal care services, or skilled medical care. Companionship services can include encouraging a loved one to participate in an enjoyable hobby or providing transportation to visit friends and family. Personal care services can provide help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, and grooming. 

3. Preserves the overall well-being of family caregivers.

The health and well-being of family caregivers are important to keep in mind. When permanently caring for a loved one, this can become mentally and physically exhausting. Hiring in-home care services offer family caregivers the opportunity to take regularly scheduled breaks, whether it’s during the week, evening, overnight, or on the weekend. Having these much-needed breaks to enjoy activities or just to relax can support positive family relationships and maintain the overall well-being of the family caregiver.

4. Customized care plans.

In-home caregivers can make life easier for the entire family. At an initial meeting, a care coordinator will meet with the family to discuss their situation and what type of assistance would be helpful. They will identify areas where consistent actions can positively impact care so that a customized care plan can be created to meet all the family’s needs. This can include companionship services for a senior with dementia or running errands and meal preparation for the week to relieve the family caregiver of these tasks. 

5. Provides trained employees. 

As a family member, you want to know that your loved one will receive the best care. If your loved one has dementia and needs specialized care or uses medical equipment, it’s important to know that the in-home caregiver is trained and competent to care for your loved one. Professional caregivers have the essential training necessary to provide the care needed to clients with a range of needs. They can also recognize any changes that might indicate a health issue. 

6. Family caregivers can focus on relationships.

Rather than feel overwhelmed or like chores are never-ending, family caregivers can establish a relationship with a home care agency to help provide a wide range of services, including respite care. Respite allows family members to be relieved of their care responsibilities so they can focus only on spending valuable time making memories with loved ones.

7. Allows families to plan.

Sometimes care situations arise out of crises such as an unplanned hospitalization due to an illness or injury. Situations like these can leave families unsure how their loved one’s condition will be after discharge or unable to provide care during that time. Having in-home care services allows families to take time to evaluate the situation and come up with a plan. In-home caregivers are available for short or long-term care, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. 

8. Takes on all responsibility.

Another thing you didn’t know about home care is that you don’t have to be the supervisor or take on all the responsibilities. The agency supervises and trains their caregivers, manages schedules, and completes background checks, pay, and insurance with home care. If any situations arise, all you need to do is call the agency to resolve your concern. This relieves any additional stress and work.

9. Provides backup support.

In-home caregivers are the perfect solution when it comes to unexpected issues. For example, if you receive a call that your father has a doctor’s appointment tomorrow that you weren’t aware of and are unavailable to take him, a caregiver can accompany him to his appointment and provide transportation. Home care agencies understand these situations can happen and can provide a caregiver for last-minute cases. 

10. Extends care services to end of life.

Some home care agencies offer a wide range of care services for adults to end-of-life services for seniors. As family caregivers know, most seniors wish to remain living in their own homes, but being a family caregiver can take a toll on many areas of their life as this care can extend beyond months and years. Hiring home care provides the help families need and offers support, relief, and peace of mind.

Home care is a vital service for many families, and it’s important to know all you can about it before making any decisions. Comfort Keepers in Roswell provides quality home care services to families, and we would be happy to discuss our services with you. Contact Comfort Keepers today to learn more about our in-home care services.