The Peace of Knowing your Loved One is Being Cared for in Their Own Home

28 Feb The Peace of Knowing your Loved One is Being Cared for in Their Own Home

If We Only Had More Time

Our everyday lives have become so hectic with caring for our own children, husbands, household responsibilities and of course, our 40-50 hour work week. Can there be more time to add to your day to care for our aging parents? Sometimes we just need to stop in to make sure they are eating right, are warm enough, taking their correct medications and visiting with them to break up their lonely days. This is when we look into care giving options, like private home care services.

Replacing Yourself with Caring and Knowledgeable People

Determining what type of care, how much care and attention is needed would be your first thought to researching what options are out there. There are care agencies and then there are independent caregivers. Both have positive contributions to caring for your elderly loved one. Obviously the care agencies will be able to supply help that have the proper training, flexible hours and be able to offer you more than one person’s availability. Hiring an independent caregiver can take more in depth work on your part to make sure you are hiring that right person. Interviewing many applicants, getting them to commit to times needed, checking their references, and most of all being able to trust your judgement. Background checks should be part of your decision making, as well as, knowing you will have to deduct and pay payroll taxes for the independent caregiver.

One parent is usually left after their spouse passes away and being lonely is a big part of making the choice for that perfect caregiver. You must remember that in most cases you are having this caregiver replace you for those hours you cannot commit to. Agencies will always have a replacement if your caregiver cannot keep their schedule due to sickness or personal reasons. You most likely will have no one but yourself to take on this duty should the independent caregiver not be able to show up.

Peace of Mind

The beginning of this journey may be stressful for you and your elderly parent(s). Just having strangers in their home will be uncomfortable and scary. Time will tell how the caregivers are accepted into their home and life. Making sure their medications are correctly taken, eating prepared nutritious meals, doing some housekeeping, running errands or maybe just playing a game of cards or having fun conversations will be so beneficial.

Staying in their home and being taken care of the way you wish you could is such a rewarding time for yourself and your loved ones. Facing that your parents are getting to that point where they do need daily care is a sad reality to our lives. Finding the right person or agency to take that stress and turn it into a positive will always give us peace of mind.