There’s no one single trick for providing great senior care that works universally. Just like each individual has different wants and needs, all senior citizens have different requirements for what kind of care will be most helpful to them. The end result is what you’ve seen in our culture when it comes to how senior care is treated by the government; a worst case scenario approach is taken, even if this means expensive and often unnecessary types of care, like nursing homes and extended hospital stays. It ends up being confining and even depressing for some people.
And while it’s helpful for some, it’s not for others. A cookie cutter approach doesn’t work because each person has their own set of needs–no two people are exactly the same. Yes, it might take a few extra minutes to figure out just what someone’s specific needs are when it comes to senior care, but the end result is better suited to that person’s profile.
What’s more, this approach shows a level of empathy and love that the previously described one does not. It treats people like what they truly are: living, breathing people. However, the issue is that most people that have a parent that is in need of some sort of senior care do not really know what they can do to make the situation better for the people that they love. They know that they want mom or dad to be safe and healthy, but other than that, they’re not quite sure what approach that they should use to make sure that it happens. The final product is again that worst case scenario from above. Unfortunately, while this addresses major physical needs, it doesn’t provide the best solution for emotional needs.
If the physical needs aren’t bad enough to warrant a nursing home, then the person residing there is going to have some emotional needs that are being ignored with little purpose. If your parent’s medical insurance will cover a nursing home stay, but not another type of care, it can make the nursing home a tempting choice because of the financial incentives. But, that doesn’t always make it best. There are some who cannot go any other route, but many people can, they just do not know that they can. Finding less expensive resources to use, like in-home care, public assistance for covering alternative types of care, veteran benefits, or nonprofit grant funds to help make sure that your elderly loved one is happy and healthy are all options that you have when looking at senior care, but if you don’t look for them and use them, they will not help you.
For the sake of your family, you should make the effort to see what resources your community has to help you keep your parent as healthy and happy as possible, without being a huge financial drain. Begin by planning ahead as best as possible, looking for top quality in-home care services that are cost effective, and make your needs known to those that are familiar with senior based social services. These will all benefit you in the end.
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