Can Home Care Services Help Older Adults to Age in Place?

If your aging parent is like most other seniors, they probably want to remain in their home for the rest of their life. In fact, in a survey conducted by AARP, 87 percent of people aged 65 or older stated they want to “age in place.” That is, they want to stay in their homes. The good news is that there are ways you can help your parent to remain in their home. One of those ways is home care services.

Home Care Services Seal Beach CA – Can Home Care Services Help Older Adults to Age in Place?

What is Needed to Age in Place

Keeping seniors in their homes as they get older can mean some planning ahead. Some of the things you’ll need to think about for your parent are:

Personal Care: As people age, they sometimes have trouble taking care of bathing and grooming because of physical disability or cognitive problems. They may need assistance with washing their hair, taking a bath or shower, and getting dressed.

Meals: Often seniors have trouble making nutritious meals for themselves. Or, when they are alone, they might not want to put the effort into cooking or find eating alone lonely. They might also be unable to drive themselves to the grocery store.

Household Tasks: For them to live comfortably, your senior’s home will need to be kept clean and tidy. They’ll also need clean laundry, and someone will need to do the dishes.

Managing Finances: It can be hard for older adults to continue managing their own finances because of visual or cognitive problems. Your parent might need someone to help them make sure bills get paid on time.

Managing Health: To remain healthy, older adults need to take medications suggested by their doctors. They also need to attend medical appointments. Yet, they may have difficulty remembering when to take medicines or lack the ability to get to appointments on their own.

How Can Home Care Services Help?

Home care services can help with all of the things that older adults need to age in place. They can help by:

• Assisting the senior to bathe, dress, and groom themselves.
• Driving seniors to the store to grocery shop and carrying heavy grocery bags.
• Cooking healthy meals or assisting seniors to cook for themselves.
• Keeping an older adult company while they eat.
• Performing light housekeeping duties.
• Doing laundry.
• Cleaning up after meal preparation.
• Opening mail with the senior and reading it to them, if needed.
• Reminding the senior when bills are due.
• Taking the senior to the post office to mail bill payments or assisting them with setting up online payments.
• Reminding them to take medications.
• Driving them to medical appointments.

Aging in place doesn’t have to be just a wish for your parent. It can be a reality, even if you don’t live close enough to help them on a regular basis. A home are services agency can match your parent with the right elder care provider to assist them with all their needs.

Sources:  https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/aging-place-growing-old-home

https://www.aarp.org/livable-communities/info-2014/livable-communities-facts-and-figures.html

If you or an aging loved one are considering Home Care Services in Seal Beach CA, please contact the caring staff at 1Heart Caregiver Services today.