Benefits of Home Health Care: What Families Should Consider
Approximately 30 percent of Americans juggle the daily demands of life with the important responsibility of caring for an aging family member. Beyond the physical and mental burden is the emotional stress and burnout that often accompanies being a caregiver. If you provide care for a loved one, you may want to consider the five benefits that come with hiring professional home health care for seniors.
Caring for a Senior: The 5 Benefits of Getting Full-Time or Part-Time Home Health Care For Your Family Member
1. Faster Recovery in the Safety and Comfort of Your Own Home
Professional home health care aides are able to provide expert care in the solace and safety of your own home. And that home setting can be more comforting and relaxing for your loved one, which helps with all aspects of their mental health, physical health, and overall health outcomes.
This is especially helpful if your aging family member is recovering from surgery or a health problem. In the first-ever randomized controlled trial of its kind, researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, researchers found that older adults recovered faster and with fewer medical complications in a home care setting compared to older adults in a hospital.
Plus, the cost of care was 40% lower than the same care in a hospital setting.
2. Peace of Mind for Caregivers
Providing care for your loved one is all-consuming, but it is by far not the only thing that you're responsible for. Caregivers also have to juggle the stress and demands of their own family's needs, their jobs, etc.
Hiring a home health aide can give relief and peace of mind to family caregivers. Knowing that your loved one is being looked after while you're at work or otherwise occupied can be invaluable, and a home health care aide can also relieve your daily to-do list by helping to bathe and feed your loved one, assisting them in managing their medications, and more.
3. More Autonomy (and Dignity) for Your Loved One
Maintaining dignity for seniors is an important aspect of care. Being stripped of their independence, or treated with little to no autonomy, has severe impacts on the mental health, well-being, and happiness of your loved one.
In-home health care services can help with many aspects of daily living. Home health aides can assist with tasks like grooming and transportation, thus allowing seniors to preserve as much dignity and independence as possible.
This type of assistance also allows seniors to live at home for as long as possible, avoiding the stress (and costs) associated with being moved into a care facility.
4. Socialization and Emotional Support
When it comes to facing the many challenges of aging, being able to age in place with sufficient emotional and physical support is important for your loved one's health and well-being.
Socialization is an invaluable aspect of aging in place, and many of the prominent concerns related to aging come down to isolation and lack of friendship. Visits from home health aides can help provide elements of companionship, including day outings and excursions, stimulating conversation, and more.
5. Personalized Care
To a home health aide, your aging family member is more than just a patient in a hospital room.
Beyond just providing a friendly face, a home health aide can give personalized attention and, in coordination with the rest of your loved one's medical team, help put into place a care plan that's customized to your family member's unique needs and preferences.
At Elite Home Health Care, we understand the important benefits of home health care. Whether you need full-time or part-time support in caring for your aging family member, our team of professionals is ready to help. Contact us today to learn more about how we can assist you with any and all of your home health care needs.