Home Care for Seniors Makes a Difference for the Whole Family

Many families choose to become the caregivers of their aging loved ones when that time comes. Whether choosing to care for one's parent(s), grandparent or other significant loved one, there will be challenges for the caregivers, their own family and the senior as well. The relationships among all involved are being exposed to tremendous differences that can cause discomfort and change those relationships greatly.

Depending on the senior's age, health and ability to attend to her or his own needs, different types of home care may be required. Some seniors need direct care on a daily basis. Others need help with meal preparation, grooming, bathing and general activities of daily living. Still others can no longer drive, but are otherwise capable of caring for themselves. Family members may be caregivers by going to the senior's home on a regular basis and attending to him or her there or by moving the senior into the caregiver's home permanently.

The elderly often grieve the loss of their independence. It is an emotionally difficult period of adjustment to become a dependent in someone else's household after living as an independent adult. It is also hard for the adult child to become the caretaker for the parent, who has always been the caretaker. Needing help with bathing and toileting is awkward for the parent when their adult child is the caregiver helping them. It is also difficult for the adult child. The time the caregiver must devote to the senior is taken from his or her own children, creating even more change in the home.

Senior care from other sources is available to assist and supplement the care provided by family members. In fact, this service is a great help for families making the adjustment of providing care for an elderly loved one. When the family caretaker needs a break, a non-medical home care agency can supply a caregiver to provide assistance in the home so the caretaker has a few hours each week in which to do errands or take some stress-relief breaks.

The family caretaker should interview the care agency to discover all the services they offer. One valuable service to consider would be to let the caregiver come and do the toileting, bathing and grooming sessions each week to remove the awkward and embarrassing episodes from the parent and child relationship altogether. Caregivers can come for a few hours a week or on a full time basis. The assistance of a care agency can ease the stress and contribute to the comfort and ease of the entire family.