Bringing home care to your loved one can be a daunting prospect for both you and your family members, especially if they have a condition such as dementia, where they may not be able to remember previous conversations that you have had about home care. To make sure that both you and your loved one are comfortable with your new arrangements, here are some top tips to ease your senior into their new routine.
1. Let Them Choose a Home Care Service
One of the significant concerns that your loved one may have is that the decision is out of their control and that they are unable to choose the home care provider that they want. Rather than making the decision for them, where possible, you should discuss with your relative which home health agencies in Maryland are right for them. They may also want to speak to the care providers themselves. You should also discuss with them the type of care that they will need. While some older people may only need someone to help them with minor tasks, such as shopping, others may need more help in the form of aid when they are dressing or washing. Speaking to them about this can help them to feel reassured that their needs have been considered.
2. Start with a Trial of the Service
Although you might want to get your loved one the help that they need right away, you might consider trialing the home care service that you have chosen temporarily. This can help your loved one to feel more comfortable as they will feel as if they have control over whether they decide to use this service on a more permanent basis. Not only will this allow you to find the right caregivers for them, but this can ease the transition by helping them to see the benefits of home care before they commit.
3. Split Care Between Home Care and Yourself
If you are currently caring for your loved one, and you are thinking of hiring home care services to share the commitments, at first, you might consider splitting the care that is needed between the home service and yourself. You can then build up the amount of time that the home care service is spending with your loved one over time, once they are more comfortable with the arrangements. You might also consider hiring respite care at first to see how your loved one feels about aid being given by someone else.
4. Show Them the Benefits and Risks
The most crucial step that you can take, however, is to discuss the benefits of home care with them and the risks that they may face if they do not receive home care. By showing that home care help is a positive step towards further independence, your loved one may be more comfortable with accessing the help that they need.
5. Take Alternative Actions
Additionally, you might also want to consider taking other steps to help your loved one to age in place, rather than simply leaving home care as the only option available to them. This may include installing ramps, rails, and other equipment that can allow your loved one to stay independent and which can help them to live their daily life to the full.