One of the biggest issues that we see negatively impacting seniors in the care industry right now is a lack of providers. More and more often, seniors in need are finding themselves placed on waitlists for these services, with no end in sight for when they will get the assistance they need.
It’s not just here in California. It’s every state and every community in the U.S. There just aren’t enough providers out there to adequately cover the needs of people looking for services. This goes for doctors, counselors, therapists, caregivers, meal delivery services, drivers, and more. Some communities are certainly impacted in different ways. For example, some places have enough caregivers and doctors, but are missing mental health providers. Some have enough in the mental health industry, but are missing volunteers to help with Medicaid transportation. Each community’s problems are a little bit different.
Unfortunately, there’s no easy solution to this problem on a widespread basis. But there are certainly things that you can do on your end to ensure that you and your family have access to the services that will be the most helpful.
Doctors and other providers do not want to let people languish on their waitlists. They want to be able to help every single person that needs it. But for a variety of issues, that’s not possible.
It never hurts to reach out to the providers that you are waiting on to see what other ideas they might have. For example, if you are waiting on a mental health counselor to have an opening, a call to their office to ask what other providers they know of in your community can help to expedite the process by ensuring that you are casting your net as widely as possible.
Asking about virtual services might be helpful, too. For this, it really depends on what it is you’re looking for. You can’t get meals delivered to you virtually, but some services can be done online. Utilizing this option might help to get you connected to the services that you need a little bit more quickly.
Perhaps the most helpful thing that you can do is to start your search early. Knowing what you’re looking for and getting the ball rolling before the services are absolutely necessary is a good idea. It gives you a good idea of what you are looking for, makes you more aware of the services that exist in your community, and helps those services to become aware of what you need, too. Starting early might seem like a lot, but it’s one of the best ways to get started.
This is what we suggest you do for senior care, too. If you have questions about senior care, please let us know. One of our senior caregivers would be happy to talk more with you. We can go over how in-home care can benefit your family and help get you started. The care search can be tough, but having the right team on your side can help make it a little bit easier. Give us a call or send us an email today to get started.
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