Is It Time For A Professional Caregiver?

Aging comes with challenges, both physical and mental. Some of those challenges make it difficult to care for yourself, especially if you live with a chronic condition like heart disease or diabetes. 

But age-related changes don’t mean you must give up your independence or life at home. Many seniors find working with a professional caregiver significantly improves their wellness and quality of life. 

What Do Professional Caregivers Do?

A professional caregiver is a trained individual who assists clients with nonmedical tasks. There are different types of caregivers, but the ones working with Visiting Angels provide at-home assistance. This type of care means caregivers come to a client’s home to help with daily activities like housekeeping, cooking, and personal grooming. 

Many seniors and families enjoy working with professional caregivers because it allows seniors to age in place at a comfortable and familiar home. It also puts families at ease knowing their loved one has someone around if they need help. 

While there is a lot that professional caregivers can do, it’s vital to understand that caregivers are not medical professionals and can not help with medical tasks like changing IVs or dressing wounds. However, if something happens while a caregiver is present, such as a fall, caregivers can provide physical and emotional comfort while contacting a trained medical team for assistance. 

Signs You May Need A Professional Caregiver

It’s never too late or too early to start working with a professional caregiver. However, if you’re experiencing any of the following signs, you may want to consider working with a caregiver sooner rather than later:

• You have trouble with daily tasks like vacuuming or laundry.
• You face difficulties with personal tasks like showering, toileting, or grooming. 
• You’ve fallen at home or outside within the last six months.
• You don’t have a local family who can care for you.
• You have a chronic condition that makes caring for yourself more challenging. 
• You’re feeling lonely or depressed.
• You can no longer drive or don’t have transportation.

Hiring A Professional Caregiver From Visiting Angels

At Visiting Angels, we offer various at-home care services to help seniors stay safe at home. A few of our most popular care services include:

• Companion care helps clients with basic household activities like cooking, cleaning, medication reminders, and appointment transportation. Caregivers also provide companionship to combat loneliness and social isolation.
• Personal care includes the same services as companion care with hands-on assistance. Personal care services include mobility assistance, grooming, showering, and toileting. 
• Dementia care is for clients with any form of dementia. It’s a mix of companion and personal care provided by caregivers familiar with the ever-changing needs of clients with dementia. 
• Transitional care helps reduce hospital readmissions by assisting seniors as they transition home after a hospital stay. 
• End-of-life care provides clients and families physical, emotional, and spiritual support as they enter their final life stages. 

Even if you’re unsure whether working with a professional caregiver is something you need now, it’s never too early to plan for your future. At Visiting Angels Ravenna, we offer a complimentary consultation to potential clients to help determine if and when a professional caregiver is needed. This consultation is also a great time to ask questions and express concerns about working with a professional caregiver. 

After the initial consultation, if you feel that caregiving may be beneficial, we’ll create a personalized care plan and match you with one of our amazing caregivers. Once the care plan is ready, we can start care within 48 hours. 

Our Portage office is a locally owned and operated agency, working with seniors and families throughout Portage, Geauga, and Southern Cuyahoga counties. Contact us to schedule your complimentary consultation or ask any questions.