Will Home Care Really Make a Difference in Mom’s Life? If She Struggles with Basic Tasks, Absolutely!
One question that some people may have when it comes to home care is, ‘Will it really make a difference in my aging mother’s life?’ The answer is simple: yes.
A lot of people have various misconceptions about home care. Some people have no idea what home care is, what it offers, or the benefits it can provide to aging seniors. For those who have some misconceptions, though, the misconceptions can actually be more harmful than having no knowledge whatsoever.
That’s because myths and misconceptions become much more difficult to overcome and steer around. If you have been wondering if home care would actually be beneficial in your mother’s life, there is one key question to be asked first: is she struggling with basic tasks?
Seniors don’t have to be struggling to depend on home care.
Home Care Annandale, VA: Safely Hiring Home Care
However, one of the key reasons why people look to home care for themselves or somebody they care about in their 70s, 80s, or 90s is when they’re having difficulty with basic tasks.
Your mother might have been hospitalized recently due to pneumonia, major surgery, injuries, or a medical emergency like a heart attack or stroke. When she is set to be discharged and sent home, who is going to be there with her?
You might. Other siblings, your father, stepfather, friends, and even neighbors also might be more than willing to step in and help, at least in the beginning. However, life moves on and people have to return to their normal routines, their jobs, careers, and own families.
That means your mother will reach a point when she likely still needs help, even though no one is available any longer. Home care should always be the first option, not the last. That’s because when you hire through an agency, you can get consistent, reliable, experienced support that can make a world of difference for not only recovery, when it is possible, but also to improve quality of life for your elderly mother.
How does home care make a difference?
An experienced home care aide can support an aging senior in the comfort of their home, which is where most seniors prefer to remain. For your mother, she can have somebody stopping by when she needs support the most.
For example, your mother may do pretty well throughout the day, but has extreme difficulty in the morning getting out of bed and getting dressed. This might be an uncomfortable thing for her to depend on you when getting into and out of the shower or to go to the bathroom when her arthritis is flaring up, her joints are stiff, or her muscles are weak.
A home care aide can be a wonderful buffer that continues to provide the support she needs without the discomfort of depending on you or somebody else in the family.
A home care aide can also offer companionship, support, and encouragement. When a family member tries to discourage their aging parent, for example, from doing certain things because they worry about safety, it can cause friction in the relationship. The home care aide, you wouldn’t have that friction and, therefore, it would help both you and your mother during this difficult time.