Are you considering hiring a professional caregiver for in-home help? Do you find yourself asking more and more if hiring a paid caregiver for in-home help is the right decision?
As your parents get older, you may have noticed their age catching up with them.
Perhaps your mom once religiously cleaned the house, but now struggles to keep up with everyday chores. Or maybe your father consistently forgets to turn off lights, the oven, or even pay bills.
Although these signs are concerning, they don’t always mean it’s time to move your parents into an assisted living facility. Instead, you may consider becoming a family caregiver or hiring a professional to support your loved ones as they age in place.
Why Do People Hire Caregivers for In-Home Help?
Hiring a caregiver for in-home help is a valuable and thoughtful way to support your parent’s quality of life. Many seniors fear losing their independence as age-related issues such as mobility loss, balance problems, and other health conditions occur.
With an in-home care provider, your parent can receive assistance with a range of tasks, allowing them to live in the comfort and familiarity of their home.
What Do Paid Caregivers Do?
A professional caregiver can help with basic tasks or provide specialized care such as:
- Housework, such as laundry, light cleaning, etc.
- Cooking, meal preparation, and grocery shopping
- Transportation to doctor’s appointments and other errands
- Medication administration
- Personal care, such as bathing, dressing, ambulating, etc.
- Ultimately, their responsibilities depend on each person’s situation and abilities.
How To Coordinate Care?
Whether you are taking the time from your own life to care for your parents or you are looking into hiring a paid caregiver for part-time or full-time assistance, a key to making the most of it is to be sure everyone in the family is on the same page. Whether it’s being sure bills are paid, doctor visits are being attended, medicine is being administered, or simply knowing that your brother dropped by with dinner – coordinating can be tough.
Signing up with an app like WayWiser can help your family stay informed about everything going on in your mom or dad’s life. And, beyond seeing appointments on a shared calendar or updating medicine lists or sharing notes from doctor visits, WayWiser’s financial management features help keep your parents safe from scams and exploitations as you keep a watchful eye on what’s going on.
10 Benefits Of Hiring A Caregiver For In-Home Help
Here are 10 reasons why hiring a caregiver for in-home help might be the right choice for you and your family:
1. Caregivers provide companionship
An active social life helps prevent senior social isolation. Plus, regular social interactions can keep the symptoms of depression and cognitive decline at bay.
Kevin Watkins, co-owner of Caring Hearts of Rochester, a New York-based in-home care agency, told AgingCare.com, “Far too many elderly individuals in the United States live alone, and when they have trouble getting around, lose their driving privileges, or do not have family and friends nearby, it can make them feel even more isolated.”
For this reason, companionship has become an integral aspect of in-home care.
Whether a CNA or Home Health Aide (HHA), companion caregivers give older adults valuable opportunities for engagement through various activities such as:
- Having coffee
- Seeing movies
- Doing activities and hobbies together
- Even if they’re doing their job, hiring a professional caregiver for in-home help goes a long way toward your parents’ social, mental, and emotional wellbeing.
2. Professional caregivers provide safe transportation services
Talking to your parents about giving up driving is one of the hardest conversations you can have.
Giving up the keys affects your parents’ ability to run errands, attend religious services, see friends, and perform other tasks independently.
In addition, it forces them to rely on other people for a ride, which can reinforce feelings of helplessness or being a burden. But if your parents’ driving poses a risk to themselves or others, you might not have a choice.
Hiring a paid caregiver for in-home help allows your parents to enjoy a higher degree of independence. A professional caregiver can take your loved one to appointments, social activities, and anywhere else they need to be.
By staying active and getting out regularly, your parent can ease depression, loneliness, and other negative feelings.
3. Caregivers support independence, confidence, and happiness
Hiring a professional caregiver for in-home help allows your aging parent to receive assistance with personal care and hygiene, so they enjoy their golden years at home instead of at a care facility.
Of course, not every senior has extensive care needs, but the added support significantly upholds your parent’s dignity and self-confidence.
4. Paid caregivers can monitor your parents’ health
Besides hiring a caregiver for in-home help, a professional with a medical background can provide insights into your parents’ life that you may not notice.
When you have a trained professional who recognizes changes in older adults, you can better address concerns and find solutions before things get out of hand.
For example, suppose your mother has unexplained weight changes. While weight gain or loss is typical among elders, too much or too little can cause concern. When you hire an in-home caregiver, they could identify potential causes, such as refusal to eat or swallowing problems.
Or, they can note instances when your father forgets to turn off the oven or take his medication. Having a second pair of eyes makes it easier to track your loved ones’ cognitive health when you’re not there yourself.
5. Caregivers provide peace of mind
Whether out of town or out of state, living far from an elderly parent makes it challenging to track their health. Hiring a caregiver for in-home help gives you peace of mind that your parent’s needs are met every day, even when you’re not there. Being sure updates are consistently added to an app such as WayWiser can help you stay informed and know if anything is being missed.
6. Professional Caregivers offer support for family caregivers
Do you find yourself stretched too thin, struggling to keep up with your responsibilities, or in desperate need of care for yourself?
Family caregivers frequently try to manage their loved one’s care when they initially take on this role.
But, gradually, the burden of caring for an aging parent and juggling work, school, home life, and more can take a toll and lead to caregiver burnout.
Hiring a caregiver for in-home help can give you a much-needed break or administer specialized care that you may not be trained to provide.
Even if it’s for a few hours during the week or overnight, a caregiver can give you the time you need to catch up on other areas of your life.
7. Caregivers can keep your loved one safer at home
A caregiver can work with your family to make home modifications for aging in place after performing an initial home risk assessment to identify tripping hazards and other areas that could cause a fall or injury.
Besides that, a caregiver can make sure your parent turns off the lights, oven, locks the doors, and take other steps to ensure their safety. And if there is an accident or emergency, they can administer immediate care and respond appropriately.
8. Caregivers ensure that your loved one gets the right care
Caregiving can be a full-time job and can tax you emotionally, mentally, and physically. Without any training or background, you may question your ability to care for your parent.
Of course, it’s normal to feel this way. Still, if you want assurance that your parent is adequately cared for, you may consider hiring a certified caregiver with plenty of experience working with seniors.
Not only that, but professional caregivers can personalize their services based on your parents’ needs. Many people don’t realize the impact that individualized care can have — especially on elders.
For instance, multiple studies have found that seniors who receive home care after an injury or illness recover significantly faster and have lower re-hospitalization rates than those who move to a care facility.
That doesn’t only mean substantial financial benefits for you and your loved one — it eliminates a heavy emotional burden, too.
9. Caregivers are more affordable than nursing homes
Nursing homes are among the most expensive places for seniors to live, which only adds to many families’ financial burdens. But despite the steep expense, many facilities fall short in their care.
According to Genworth’s 2020 Cost of Care Survey, private and semi-private rooms cost an average of $290 each day ($8,821/month) and $255 per day ($7,756/month), respectively.
On the other hand, the same study found that in-home care services cost about $4,290 per month, while home health care costs around $4,385 per month.
With that in mind, it’s no wonder why more families choose hiring a caregiver for in-home help over assisted living facilities.
10. Caregivers offer more flexibility
Your loved one may only need help for a couple of hours each day. Or they might require more attention. Either way, a professional caregiver can support them and your family whenever the need arises.
An in-home care provider can coordinate with you and your loved one’s schedules to meet everyone’s needs. With this flexibility, you can do more with your time and manage other areas of your life more easily.
Summary
You don’t have to sacrifice your well-being and happiness. Hiring a caregiver for in-home help doesn’t only benefit your loved one — it can improve your situation, too.
These professionals make your life as easy as possible. Just ensure to match your loved one to the right caregiver based on their needs, personality, and more.
