There are millions of seniors in the United States, many of whom are currently receiving senior care of some sort or another. Because the term “senior care” has so many different meanings, it is hard to put a precise number on this, but the most recent number from the AARP indicates that about 41.8 million Americans are currently receiving senior care of some sort or another.
That’s a huge number, but it goes far beyond this. The family members impacted by the need to help support a loved one is even greater. Again, this may be an imprecise number because it is difficult to estimate with certainty, but it’s predicted that about 50 million family members are providing some sort of unofficial, unpaid care for an older loved one. All in all, that’s almost a third of the U.S. population that is receiving or providing some sort of care for an older loved one.
The people that help people often need support, too. This is a caregiver support service. It’s a safety net for family caregivers so that they have the help they need so that they can help their loved ones more effectively.
Now that we’ve addressed the question of what caregiver support services are, we have an even bigger question to look at: are caregiver support services worth it?
This question isn’t quite as easy to answer and it will need to be addressed on a case by case basis. But, it is still worth looking at, even if we can’t answer it for you. At the very least, we can help get you thinking about some of the major issues that you are likely to run into and some of the hurdles that you will have to overcome.
It comes down to effectiveness. For example, something like respite care might be perfect for your family because you have the situation under control most of the time. But if you’re going to be out of town for a week, having a professional that can provide respite care during that week might be exactly what you’re looking for.
Not every service is right for everyone. Different families and different people have different needs, and what works for some won’t always work for everyone.
The beauty of these types of services is that they can be easily customized to meet a unique set of needs while still allowing you and your family to provide care in the home.
In-home care might be a choice when this gets to be too much. This allows your loved one to continue to live their life the way that they have and not make unwanted changes. True, aging always involves some change. But in-home care allows you and your loved one to address those things on your terms with as much control as possible.
Please feel free to call us. One of our staff members would love to get you set up with a free, no obligation consultation session so that you can learn more about what we do and how it might benefit the people that you love.
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