Visiting seniors at home involves many different layers of interaction. First, there’s simply the social aspect of visiting an aging loved one. But it’s also important for family caregivers to ensure that they’re noticing problems and helping seniors to solve them. Home care assistance can make this much easier for seniors and the people who love them.
Seniors Have Needs and Preferences
It’s important to remember that even though seniors may need additional help, they also have preferences. Sometimes it can be tough to reconcile those needs with the preferences in a way that works for everyone involved. Working with home care services helps to keep in mind health conditions, dietary needs, mobility challenges, and other issues along with preferences when putting together a comprehensive care plan.
Communication Is Important
Communicating openly and clearly is the best way for seniors and family caregivers to find a middle point, especially when there are a lot of different changes occurring. When visiting aging adults, it’s good to balance the conversation between purely social interaction and talking about some of the heavier topics that need to be addressed. Doing this in a loving manner is the best bet.
Plan Meaningful Activities
If family caregivers live farther away or don’t get to visit aging adults often, it can help to have a bit of an itinerary of meaningful activities planned. Keep in mind how much energy seniors have as well as what they tend to enjoy doing. Keeping the activities adaptable helps to ensure that no one is overwhelmed during the visit.
Address Safety Issues
Safety is one of the most important aspects of helping seniors. When family caregivers visit their aging adults, they need to stay alert for anything that seems as if it might contribute to a safety concern. That means looking for things like tripping hazards, poor lighting, or just anything that could be safer. Addressing these as quickly as possible reduces the likelihood of something negative occurring.
Respect Independence
Family caregivers want to be there for the seniors they love, but it’s also important to keep their desire for independence in mind. Working with home care assistance is a good way to balance this because caregivers are experienced with fostering independence while also offering help. Family caregivers can learn from how caregivers achieve that balance.
Put Help in Place for Activities of Daily Living
The biggest challenge for seniors can often be with activities of daily living. This includes light housekeeping, preparing meals, grooming, bathing, and other related activities. Having daily ongoing support from senior care providers ensures that aging adults get help and are also as independent as possible.
Visiting aging adults is a fantastic way for family caregivers to understand what their seniors need, strengthen bonds with them, and spend time socializing. The key is often to find ways to put support in place between those visits. Home care assistance bridges that gap, offering seniors the help that they need and assuring family caregivers that their aging adults are in good hands.
The staff at Home Care Matters is available to talk with you and your family about all of your needs. Home Care Matters is a home care agency providing quality and affordable home care assistance in Flowery Branch, GA, and the surrounding areas. Call (770) 965-4004 for more information.
We provide elder care in Braselton, Buford, Dacula, Duluth, Flowery Branch, Gainesville, Johns Creek, Lawrenceville, Oakwood, Sugar Hill, Suwanee, Barrow County, Forsyth County, Gwinnett County, Hall County, Jackson County, North Fulton County.
Valerie has the unique experience with home care as she has experienced it from both ends of the spectrum, as a caregiver and as needing care herself as a cancer survivor. Valerie says, “Taking care of someone you love is a physically, mentally and demanding labor of love.Taking care of my mom was the hardest thing I have ever done. It has given me an insight and perspective not many people understand unless you are doing it or have done it.I loved taking care of my mom.I love helping others take care of their love ones too.And now that I’ve been sick, it’s given me a whole new level of empathy and understanding for those who are sick and need help.”
Valerie’s schedule varies daily, but she loves visiting with our clients, families, caregivers, our network partners and being in the office.Says Valerie, “Every day is different, but I wake up excited about what we do, inspired by our team, clients and caregivers.I strive to be a resource to the community.I love my team and I love what we do every day. I like to think my mom would be proud.”
You can reach Valerie by email (Valerie@homecarematters.com) or in our office (770.965.4004).
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