Is It Time For A Professional Caregiver?
Aging comes with challenges, some of which may make it difficult to care for yourself effectively. Plenty of care options are available to seniors, including professional caregiving, which is perfect for seniors who want to age in place.
If you’re an aging adult considering your care options, you may wonder if now is the right time to hire a professional caregiver. To help you determine if now is the best time, it’s helpful to understand the role of a caregiver and the signs that you may need help at home.
What Is A Professional Caregiver?
A professional caregiver is a trained individual who provides nonmedical care to those in need. There are various types of caregiving that a caregiver can provide. At Visiting Angels, we focus on at-home care, where our caregivers go to clients’ homes and help with daily household tasks like light housekeeping and cooking. We also offer specialized care services for seniors who need more hands-on assistance with tasks like showering, dressing, or toileting.
It’s essential to understand that while the well-being and health of a client is a caregiver’s top priority, professional caregivers are not medical professionals. They can not assist with medical care like administering medications, changing IVs, or dressing wounds. However, a caregiver is there to ensure that if medical attention is needed, they can contact the appropriate personnel to ensure the clients get it.
Benefits Of A Professional Caregiver
People often wonder, if a professional caregiver can’t provide medical care, what is the point of hiring one? It’s a valid question, and while caregivers can’t offer medical assistance, they provide plenty of benefits to their clients and their families.
Companionship
One of the primary reasons people hire a professional caregiver is for companionship. Maintaining a social life as an older adult may come with challenges, especially if you have a health condition that affects your mobility or ability to leave your home. And while staying home or disengaging from friends and family may not seem like a big deal, studies find that social isolation, which affects about 33 percent of seniors, poses a 50 percent increase in the risk of dementia and other medical conditions.
Professional caregivers provide companionship to those unable to leave home to socialize and provide transportation to seniors to help them maintain their social activities. The caregivers with Visiting Angels also have a social care program where caregivers help clients navigate texting, emailing, and social media to stay connected with long-distance loved ones.
Independence
Hiring someone to help you be more independent may feel counterintuitive, but having a professional caregiver can lead to a safer and more comfortable life at home. Caregivers are not there to change your day-to-day or keep you from doing the things you enjoy. They are there to ensure you’re safe and offer assistance whenever needed. Their presence makes it easier for you to age at home instead of moving to an assisted living or senior community.
Ease of Mind
Many people worry about their aging loved ones living alone. It’s especially stressful when you don’t live in the same city or state. A professional caregiver can help ease some of the stress and worry for families by ensuring someone is always around, keeping seniors safe and healthy.
Signs You May Need A Professional Caregiver
It’s never too late or too soon to hire a professional caregiver, but a few signs that you can benefit from a caregiver are:
- You have trouble with basic living tasks like cooking and cleaning
- You have difficulty with personal care tasks like dressing or showering
- You require mobility assistance
- You have a chronic health condition
- You have trouble remembering to take your medications
- You can no longer drive and need transportation to appointments or to run errands
- Your loved ones show concern about you living alone
- You’ve fallen at home
Working With Visiting Angels
The hardest part about working with a professional caregiver is finding the right fit. At Visiting Angels, we take the stress out of starting the caregiving process by making everything seamless for our clients.
All potential clients can schedule a complimentary consultation to learn about the caregiving process and ask any questions they may have about caregiving. During this initial meeting, a care team member will explain our various care services and which may best fit you.
After the consultation, our care team will create a personalized care plan addressing all needs and concerns. We then match our clients with caregivers who fit schedules and similar personalities and interests, so there is a foundation for a trusting relationship. Once the care plan is approved, care can begin as quickly as 48 hours.
If you think professional caregiving might be a good fit for you, contact our Gadsden office today!