Is In-Home Care Right for Me?

The number one question we receive when people call looking for answers is whether in-home care is right for them. This is a tricky question sometimes, but there are some general guidelines that we follow to make an initial assessment prior to sending an RN out to speak with the client and family. If you or your loved one can answer “yes” to any of these, you should talk to an in-home care agency about your specific circumstance.

There is difficulty completing normal daily activities.

We often take for granted daily tasks like laundry, bathing, cooking, doing the dishes, and other light housekeeping tasks and activities until they are difficult or just too much to keep up with.

If you find yourself not having the energy to keep up with the things that used to be commonplace, or your loved one who used to be very clean and tidy suddenly having a counter full of dishes or neglecting their hygiene, in-home care might help to improve their quality of living.

There is a difficulty in remembering things or a noticeable habit of frequently telling the same story or piece of information more than one time.

Even a minor loss in mental acuity can result in a drastic reduction in quality of life. Whether it is forgetting to take pills, failing to remember to bathe or shower, or simply forgetting that they had a scheduled doctor’s appointment, loss of memory can be a slippery slope to a dangerous living condition.

In-home care can be an excellent way to augment you or your loved one’s experience with memory loss by providing a caregiver to serve as a listening ear and a stabilizing relationship to offer guidance and reminders when necessary without losing independence.

There are multiple or chronic illnesses present.

A chronic illness or situation where there are multiple diagnoses can often trigger the need for in-home care. When the human body is tasked with working harder to heal itself, it often requires extra energy leaving you or your loved one needing some help to complete the things that need to be done to keep on fighting such as going to the supermarket, preparing healthy meals, and keeping the house free of dirt and bacteria.

A well-orchestrated plan of care can go a long way in allowing for you or your loved one to get that extra help needed to speed up recovery or give you the opportunity to stay in your home in spite of the health concerns being dealt with.

There is a partial need for care that does not require a full-time nursing home or assisted living facility.

As the need for help arises, there is often the fear and feeling that entering a nursing home is the only option. That is not true.

For those who do not require care or supervision around the clock, private in-home care can allow you or your loved one to remain independent in the home they worked so hard to build and provide for. While nursing homes can be an excellent option for those who need more help, care, and monitoring, in-home care is often a legitimate and better option for those who are still able to care for themselves in even a limited capacity.