24-hr in-home care is one of Abundant Home Health Care’s specialty areas of service. But what is 24-hr in-home care, and what are its benefits?
24-hour care may be the right choice for you if your loved one wants to age in place in their own home but also needs care at any hour of the day. When you choose 24-hr in-home care, aides work a number of hours each day, ensuring that there is always someone to assist your loved one in their home. Below, we’ve outlined 5 reasons why 24-hr in-home care is a great option.
1 – STRUCTURE + ROUTINE
Structure, routine, and a clean environment all contribute to a successful recovery and a comfortable life. In-home personal care services include assistance with living activities such as personal hygiene, dressing, laundry, shopping, meal preparation, and night-time tasks. Two extremely valuable benefits that 24-hr home care service offers are discreet safety supervision and true companionship between aide and client. This bond often develops into relationships based on mutual respect.
A patient who opts for private care experiences:
- Monitoring of symptoms such as palpitations, excessive perspiration, dizziness, or difficulty breathing.
- Healthy meals, including dietary restrictions if necessary, prepared by the home health care expert, and a daily recording of the client’s fluid intake.
- Assistance with personal hygiene like showering, shaving, and toileting. In-home caregivers ensure the client’s clothes, hair, and nails are clean, and that the bed linens are changed regularly.
- Reminders to take meds on time.
- Laundry is washed, dried, folded, and put away.
- Transportation to doctor’s appointments
- Food and/or pharmaceutical shopping is taken care of
- Companionship and conversation: playing cards, doing jigsaw puzzles, crosswords, or other hobbies.
2 – FLEXIBLE SCHEDULE
With 24 hours in a day, there are many options on how and when you’d like to schedule care for your loved one. You can setup recurring shifts for day and night care, ensuring that there is always someone there to assist. 24-hr care means that a caregiver can actively monitor someone at night, which is particularly important for those who may have sundown syndrome or who become agitated during the evening. This is also helpful in the case that your family member needs assistance during the night, such as going to the restroom or getting a drink of water.
3 – COMBATING LONELINESS + DEPRESSION
Loneliness and isolation are very real concerns for the elderly, especially in New England. Winters start as early as November and continue right through until Marathon Monday. Navigating unmanageable snowbanks, slushy sidewalks, and icy conditions is almost impossible for some older folks. As a result, the number of seniors who develop depression during the winter increases considerably.
In-home caregivers provide the warmth and caring human connections that can keep loneliness at bay. The caregiver and client develop a bond of trust, security, and a sense of peace which enriches both their lives. A well-trained caregiver is skilled in encouraging interest and engagement in fitness and nutrition. They help motivate your loved ones to pursue their interests through daily conversation, watching or listening to the arts, music, theater, or religious events, and connecting with friends and family.
4 – ACCESS TO EXPERT PROFESSIONAL CARE-GIVERS
Caregivers – certified nursing assistants (CNAs) & home health aides (HHAs) & Companions – are available for 24-hr in-home care. They have completed a certification program and are licensed to practice by the Commonwealth. A reputable home care agency performs background checks on their Aides including a CORI, verifying past employment, permission to work in the USA, and reviews medical tests for drugs and TB. Seniors who take advantage of in-home care remain independent and find it easier to maintain their existing lifestyle.
5 – PEACE OF MIND
The stress and uncertainty of knowing if your elderly loved ones are okay while unattended can be incredibly taxing. 24-hr care allows for peace of mind — you know your family member is receiving the best care available and is not alone. You don’t have to worry about them accidentally falling in the night, or if they ate a good dinner, and can rest assured that they are in good hands with a professional caregiver that they (and you) trust.
Abundant Home Health Care’s motto is COMPASSION + EMPATHY = TRUST. As always, we are here to support you and your family. We offer 24-hr in-home care with personal support, and can make sure that your loved ones are taken care of and taking the right steps to keep their hearts healthy! Reach out to us today if you’d like to learn more.