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Home Care Is More Than Just Medical Treatment: 2 Different Ways Specialists Can Help Your Elderly Parent

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When most people think of home care, they usually think of hospice workers visiting to take care of people who have serious medical conditions or other special needs. Because of this misconception, most people decide against home care services if their parent is elderly, but otherwise in good health. However, home care services can help with more than just keeping track of medication and switching out bandages. Here are two different ways that home care specialists can assist your elderly parent, and why you should think about hiring some help today.

1: Getting Ready for the Day

From the moment you are born, you start to establish your independence. Toddlers get excited when they finally learn how to use the restroom by themselves or comb their own hair, and by the time kids grow into adults they are usually seasoned do-it-yourself experts. Unfortunately, most people don't realize how difficult it can be for a senior citizen to come to grips with the fact that they need a little help taking care of themselves. In fact, one study showed that when seniors were asked to rate their biggest fear, 26% stated that it was losing their independence, while only 3% stated that they were most afraid of dying.

Although you may be ready to break the news to your mother that she has a body odor problem from not bathing regularly, news like that might be absolutely devastating to someone who is trying to make it on their own with limited mobility. Fortunately, you can hire a home care specialist to go to your parent's home and help them with personal care activities like showering, getting dressed, putting on makeup, and even doing hair.

By getting a helping hand from a home care specialist, your loved one will be able to look great, feel confident, and maintain the personal hygiene regimen that they spent so many years perfecting.

2: Driving

Do you ever worry about your elderly loved one getting behind the wheel of a car? Although fuzzy vision, unpredictable judgment calls, and stubborn habits might be amusing during that weekly canasta game, those same attributes might land your parent in serious trouble on the road. In fact, research has shown that drivers who are between the ages of 75-84 are about as likely to be injured or killed in a car accident as teenage drivers.

If you don't live close enough to your parent to drive them around, you should consider hiring a home care specialist to act as their personal chauffeur. Here are a few errands that local home care representatives might be able to help with.

  • Grocery Shopping: To keep your mom or dad from living off of food storage and pizza delivery, home care specialists can take them to the grocery store where they can buy nutritious food.  
  • Doctor's Appointments: If you want to make sure that your mom or dad goes to their weekly doctor's appointments, think about hiring a home care specialist to take them. Not only will they arrive safely and on-time for their treatments, but home care specialists might be able to set up additional appointments or explain doctors' orders.
  • Social Events: When it comes right down to it, your elderly loved one needs to stay engaged in social activities. As a matter of fact, studies have shown that having friends might even help people to live longer than they would otherwise. If you want to keep your parent happy and potentially extend their life, hire a home care representative to help them get to the senior center, lunch appointment, or their friend's house for a social visit.

Having a home care professional take care of the driving might give you a little peace of mind, while making things a lot easier for your loved one.

By taking advantage of home care services like http://comforcare.com, you might be able to allow your parent to continue to live independently, while keeping them safe from harm. 


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