​Who needs Home Care?

As explained, in a previous article, 'in-home care' or 'home care' is the provision of carers to provide in-home supportive care for older people and adults living with a disability to help them continue living independently. Home care can also be provided to adults recovering from accidents, illness or major surgery such as knee and hip replacements. This care is to help them transition from a hospital setting back to their homes.

'Home' in the above cases could be the family home, an independent living retirement community, an assisted living community or a nursing home. It is proven that people recover far more quickly at home than they do in a hospital environment and in-home care facilitates this.

For the vast majority of older Australians, the preference is to live independently in their own home as long as possible. The use of in-home care services can extend the period a person can remain in their own home to the end of life.

Older Australians are proud and self-reliant. Asking for help is something that they do not take lightly. They don't want to be a burden, or to put someone out. The initial enquiry regarding in-home care normally comes from a family member rather than the person themselves. Aging isn't easy. Not for the person who is feeling the effects of the years, nor for their family members. As a person begins to age, family members are often called on to help with everyday things that their loved one now finds challenging – meal preparation, laundry and housekeeping. Eventually, many people find themselves assisting their loved ones in ways they never expected such as helping with hygiene and grooming or helping them with cope with diseases and disorders they could never have anticipated.

Caregiving for a loved one can take its toll on spouses and family members and it can change family dynamics. In our modern world family members are often spread all over the country and internationally. The result is that they may not be aware of the changes taking place with their loved ones, or even if they are aware, they are not in a position to provide the hands-on care that is so needed. Right at Home understand this perfectly and our services can provide far flung family members with the peace of mind that someone is looking out for their loved ones.

Most often the decision to seek out a care provider is driven by an event such as a fall, sudden illness, an adverse diagnosis, or the simple realisation by the family that a loved one needs help.

People that need help can come from a broad range of circumstances:

• Adult individuals who have become paraplegic or quadriplegic
• Adult individuals who suffer from Dementia or Alzheimer's disease
• Adult individuals who suffer from disease scenarios such as MS or MD
• Adults who need assistance after a surgery, hospital stay, or during rehabilitation
• Clients who need palliative supportive care

Care for older People who may need:

• A helping hand with homemaking assistance
• Errand or chore service assistance
• Skilled nursing care
• Assistance with medication management
• Assistance with personal care needs such as bathing
• Companionship or safety supervision or
• Spouses or family members who need respite from acting as a primary carer

There are often signs that your loved one needs home care and some of these may be as simple as:

• Missing important appointments
• Unexplained bruising
• Difficulty with walking, balance and mobility
• Uncertainty and confusion when performing once-familiar tasks
• Forgetfulness
• Noticeable decline in grooming habits and personal care
• Dirty house, extreme clutter and dirty laundry piling up
• Stacks of unopened mail or an overflowing mailbox

To find out more about how you or a loved one may benefit from our home care services and the high quality and variety of care that Right at Home Australia can provide, give us a call on 1300 362 609 or visit our websitehttp://www.rightathomeaustralia.com.au