Senior Home Care
Solutions is a non-medical senior companion company that specializes in
companion and Alzheimer’s care. We not only provide the non‑medical personal
service your loved one needs, but we provide companionship along with all our services.
When a child or group
of siblings realizes their aging parent needs daily care, there are many
thoughts and emotions that begin to surface.
The two most common
situations when a family realizes they need care are these:
- Some type of incident has happened.
A stay in the hospital for sickness, a fall, a surgery of some kind, loss
of a spouse or there are noticeable signs of depression.
- There has been some type of
change in their parents. The house is not as clean as it used to be, mail
is piling up, they can’t do the outside work on the house anymore, they
aren’t able to handle all the day to day items, the sink is full of
dishes, laundry isn’t being done, they aren’t bothering to cook for
themselves, they are isolating themselves by staying at home, forgetting
to take medications, children fear of their parents driving, and there are
changes in short-term memory.
Adult children immediately
think they need to get help to make sure their loved ones are safe but do not
know what is out there and how to find it.
It’s all about peace
of mind. Families will usually put together a plan to handle it themselves
at first if they are local. However, if there is no family nearby, they
start calling everywhere to find out what their options are. Generally
speaking, families become overwhelmed by what is out there and what it costs to
have care.
Today adult children
are in the Sandwich Generation and it is very hard for them to manage their
jobs and families in addition to their parents. It puts a lot of pressure
on the children to do all of this and to do it well. When they visit the
parents they are consumed by performing tasks — doctor appointments, grocery
shopping, cooking, managing finances, and keeping up the house inside and out.
So when they do visit
their parents, it is not quality time — it’s work time and it becomes tedious
and not enjoyable. Resentment can come into play along with
guilt.
It is rare that
potential clients who call me are thinking about turning to a nursing home. If they
are calling me, they do know there are options to be home — they just don’t
know what they are. The term “nursing home,” has a horrible stigma and 99
percent of people want to stay in their homes regardless of the situation at
hand.
There is a line
between children who do want their parents to be able to stay home, but at
times that does not come with relief or peace of mind. It depends on each
unique situation.
Most children want their
parents to stay at home and it is usually the wishes of the parents as
well. If the parents are in need of some help, it is usually affordable, but
if they need lots of help in the home they don’t realize how expensive it truly
is and how much is not covered by insurance. Roughly plan on $25 per hour for
care of any kind and that will equate to $480 per day if you need 24-hour
care.
Finding the best caregiver and also a trusted caregiver can be tough. My
senior companions at Senior Home Care Solutions are committed to being the best
and being trustworthy.
Paying close attention to a client’s health and mannerisms, or making sure
they have their favorite foods are only just the beginning of what it means to
be a senior companion and a reliable caregiver.
Until next time, take care.
Contact us today to
learn how we can help you or your loved one to experience the difference of Senior
Home Care Solutions at 315-247-6741, visit www.SyracuseSenior.com or email me,
Sheila Ohstrom, at Ohstrom@twcny.rr.com
with any questions you might have.
