When a loved one first begins receiving senior care, it can be a time of uncertainty for the whole family. It doesn’t matter if it is in-home care, in an assisted living facility, a nursing home, or another type of care. This can be a tough time for families. There are a lot of new things occurring, and your loved one is going through a time of transition.
This is a stressful time because even though we’ve planned and even though we want the best for the people that we love, we are giving up some control and trusting someone who we don’t know well to provide care. Relinquishing this control is not easy. We get it.
One thing to keep in mind during this time is that things can always change later on if necessary. If you are unhappy with the amount of attention that your mom or dad is being given, you can take steps to rectify the issue. There is never a final decision that cannot be undone. Because of this, you remain an advocate for your loved one throughout their life. And this is a good thing. It gives you and the rest of your family an opportunity to be active in their care and the decisions that impact it. You have an opportunity to advocate for your loved one. You can do this if they are receiving in-home care, care from a nursing home, or anything in between. It’s a tough position to be in, but not an unimportant one. In fact, as the level of care that your parent needs increases, this role becomes more and more important.
This ability to change things is one of the reasons why we have become such strong advocates of in-home care. With in-home care, the amount of transition that is immediately initiated is minimal when it comes to senior care. Your mom or dad does not need to move. They remain in their home where they are happy and the setting is familiar. The big difference is that a trained caregiver comes for a few hours at a time to assist them. Yes, this can feel like a loss of independence, but compared to other types of care, the amount of change is miniscule.
If change is needed later on, such as a disability progresses to the point where in-home care is no longer a safe option, then changes can be made. Your parent can move into a skilled nursing facility, if needed, where the level of care that can be applied is far greater. But before this step occurs, everything possible can be done to keep your loved one within their home for as long as they can safely live there. Studies show that relocation can be a traumatic event, and in some cases, it can even be detrimental to health. If possible, steps should be taken before this happens in order to help your parent stay as happy and healthy as they can be. Relocation should only occur if it is necessary, or if that is your parent’s desire.
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