There are many different types of senior care out there. When you think about care, the first thing that comes to many people’s minds is the nursing home environment. However, if this is what we limit senior care to in our minds, then we are doing a great disservice to our older loved ones. Nursing homes serve an important purpose, but the reality of the situation is that nursing homes are overused. One reason why this happens is because of a lack of awareness on what other options exist.
One of our goals at Paradise In-Home Care is to help people find the perfect type of senior care for the particular situation that they find their families in. What we have found is that in-home care is far more helpful than most people think that it is. While we can’t speak for everyone, one reason why this occurs is because there isn’t as much awareness of this type of senior care as there is regarding nursing home care.
So, what do you need to know when looking at senior care? First, know that care is–and should be–customizable. Your mom or dad is a unique individual. Their physical and emotional needs are distinctly their own. While there might be others out there that have very similar needs, nobody is quite like your mom. She has her own wants and desires, and her own needs and limitations. Ignoring that she is a unique person inevitably leads to a generic type of care, and this is not nearly as helpful as having a caregiver that works with her to make sure that all of her very specific needs are met.
Furthermore, because people are individuals, it’s important to remember that personalities play a role in senior care. In a place like a nursing home, there are ample opportunities for personality clashes between caregivers and the people receiving care. Even though caregivers are professionals, this is more often an issue in a nursing home than it is in one on one situation where the caregiver is specifically selected to match your parent’s personality. When you work with a professional care service, the company has many caregivers to choose from, and the best caregiver to help your mom or dad can be chosen from those that are available. This goes for both physical needs, emotional needs, and personalities.
That’s why it is so common for caregivers and those that they help to form close bonds. The relationship between caregivers and those in need might start out as a professional one, but they often evolve into close friendships. Companionship is an important part of a caregiver’s job, and this can be accomplished through in-home care more easily than any other type of care.
Like I mentioned above, there are other types of senior care out there. These all fulfill unique roles and they are sometimes the best types of care for some individuals. But please remember that your parent is an individual and as a result, they deserve the best care for their needs.
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