How Home Care Can Help Over the Holidays
Every year they seem to creep up on us and with them, the holidays often bring stress. We are often in a race against time to make sure everything gets done. The tree needs to be decorated, the presents bought and wrapped, the parties planned, the outfits purchased and the food made. If you’re adding caring for a senior loved one into the mix, it can be downright overwhelming. Especially if your senior loved one has declined physically or mentaly in the past year, you might already be emotionally taxed worrying about them. Maybe you’re worried about their safety if they're living alone, or that they will be lonely at this time of the year. Or maybe they’ve moved in with you this year, and on top of juggling all of your usual holiday stress, you now are playing the role of caregiver.
Meanwhile, you’re also trying to ensure that they can enjoy the holidays, and that you can share some of your usual traditions together so they have a great holiday season. All of this can be exhausting and easily deplete your holiday spirit. You might be able to do it all, but having someone to help with your senior loved one while you do everything else can be a blessing. That is where home care can help, especially over the holidays.
Help With What You Need
Home care agencies have trained professionals on staff that can help with whatever your senior needs assistance with. They can help from the moment your senior arises, getting them dressed and ready for the day. If you don’t have the 20 minutes to spare during the holidays that it takes to help dad maneuver the tiny buttons on his favorite button-up shirts, a homecare worker can do that. If you want everyone out the door by 9 a.m. - including grandma - for a photo with Santa, a homecare worker can make sure she is cleaned up, dressed and ready to go. That help will give you time to get yourself ready as well, when you don’t need to worry about getting her ready. While you’re busy checking off your to-do list, a homecare worker can also help your favorite senior with light meal preparation and housekeeping. They can remind them to take their medications. They also can be there to help steady them as they walk about the house.
Companionship
For many seniors, the holidays can be a sad and lonely time of the year. They may be missing their spouse, or sad they can’t do everything they once did at this time of the year. A home care worker can provide companionship for your senior loved one when you aren’t around.
They can sit and talk with your senior, listening to their stories of Christmases past. If your senior loved one can’t get enough of Hallmark Christmas movies, a home care worker can provide companionship, and sit with them talking about who they think will end up together at the end of the movie. Home care workers can even sing along with them to their favorite Christmas carols or engage with them as they tell stories about their precious ornaments on the tree.
Yes, They Can Help With Holiday Tasks
Home care workers can help with tasks you may have never even though they could do. If you aren’t in the same town as mom, they can help her put out her holiday decorations, and make the home look festive. They can sit down and build gingerbread houses with her, or even help with gift preparations. If your senior loved one is wobbly on her feet, her home care workers can head out to the mailbox to fetch any new Christmas cards that have arrived for your senior loved one. They can even help them address outgoing cards, and mail them for them.
As Much Or As Little Help As You Need
Home care agencies will work with your senior’s schedule to be there as much or as little as they need. You can simply hire them for the holiday season. Or if needed, you can add extra hours during the holidays. Many home care agencies also offer respite care, which gives you a short break from caring for your senior, while giving you peace of mind that they are safe. For example, if you hate to leave your senior alone, but really want to go see the annual Nutcracker production at Indiana University, home care agencies also have trained professionals that can come in for short periods of time to offer respite care. If you are used to caring for mom each day, but want to grab a holiday coffee with a friend at Crumble Coffee, respite caregivers can help for short periods of time. Or even if you are holidayed out and need a short nap, they can help look after your senior loved one.
Here To Help
If you are looking for help with your senior loved one this holiday season, our professionals at Visiting Angels of Bloomington can help. We provide a variety of home care services, fall prevention services and a safe and steady program. We can tailor our home care services to meet your needs.
Our expert team of caregivers serves clients in Brown, Bartholomew, Johnson, Monroe, Shelby and Rush Counties, including in Bloomington, Columbus and Nashville. To learn more about the services we can help you and your seniors with, call our offices at (812) 940-4105, or complete this form online.