Understanding the Different Levels of Care: In-Home Care vs. Assisted Living vs. Nursing Homes
Caring for an aging parent is a profound responsibility, one that often comes with difficult decisions. As our loved ones…
Every year, three million older adults go to the emergency room after falling. Around 20% of these falls result in head injuries or broken bones. If your mom fell and injured herself, she needs to have caregivers around for her recovery.
Depending on the injuries that occur, she may have limited mobility for several weeks. She’s going to need help with vacuuming, sweeping, laundry, and changing the sheets. Your mom may not be able to drive, especially if she’s in a cast.
It’s essential to arrange elder care once a chronic health condition is diagnosed. If your mom has heart disease, she will have medications that have to be taken each day. Forgetting a dose is detrimental to her health.
During cancer treatments, your mom’s energy levels may plummet. She’ll need help with everything from cooking meals to cleaning her home. She may need someone to drive her to and from appointments, too.
If she has Alzheimer’s, she cannot be alone. She needs cues to know how to get dressed to match the weather, and when to take her medications, brush her teeth, or take a shower. She cannot go for walks alone or she could get lost.
Ideally, arrange elder care as soon as your mom starts finding it harder to do some daily chores on her own. The sooner she gets help from an elder care aide, the less likely she is to have a problem taking care of herself and her home.
Many families avoid talking about the “what ifs,” but it’s very important to do so. You want to make sure your mom has legal paperwork in place to protect herself if a medical emergency happens.
She may not be ready for elder care, but she might want more help around the home and isn’t sure how to talk to you about it. If you bring it up first, she may be less embarrassed to admit things are becoming more challenging and that she could use a helping hand to remain independent at home.
Don’t put off arranging elder care if your mom needs help. It shouldn’t take her reaching the point when it takes a fall or health emergency to get help from elder care aides. Your mom wants to age at home, so arrange elder care services to make sure it happens.
Sources:
https://www.cdc.gov/falls/facts.html
If you or an aging loved one is considering elder care in Greenwood Village, CO, contact the caring staff at Touching Hearts At Home Denver Metro today. Call 303-625-7557.
Touching Hearts At Home Denver Metro is a Trusted Home Care Agency serving Aurora, Parker, Centennial, Castle Pines, Lone Tree, Greenwood Village, Castle Rock, Glendale, and the surrounding areas.
Caring for an aging parent is a profound responsibility, one that often comes with difficult decisions. As our loved ones…
Often when seniors start to experience changes in their health, they don’t go to a doctor. They just assume that…
Summer is many people’s favorite time of the year because the sun is out for longer, the air is fresh…
July is Social Wellness Month and it’s a fantastic time for seniors to focus on their social life and how…
June is National Adopt A Cat Month and it’s a great time for seniors to think about bringing a new…
Dementia affects millions of people every year. It causes memory loss, confusion, disorientation, and more while robbing families of the…
Twenty-five percent of U.S. adults have two or more chronic health conditions, and 60% have at least one. As your…
Older adults are more likely to have at least one chronic health condition and take medications to keep it from…
Depression is something that impacts a huge number of seniors. Some estimates are that more than 13% of seniors have…
Deep vein thrombosis, or DVT, is a very serious medical condition that tends to affect primarily older adults. The condition…