How To Choose Non-medical In-home Senior Care

No one likes to think of his or her parents as needing help. However, the truth is many seniors need non-medical in-home senior care in order to go on living in their home. Without this additional help, they would lose their independence and be forced to move into a senior care facility.

Whether your parents need help with daily chores, help with personal care, help with mobility, or general all-day help, the stress on the family can really add up. You may be surprised at how much stress is relieved by simply hiring someone to help.

Considerations for Hiring Non-medical Help

Customizable Service - The first thing you want to check is the ability to customize the service provided by what your loved one needs. No two seniors are alike and each will require different levels of help. A customized plan will ensure you are only paying for services needed. After all, there is no need to pay for incontinence service if all your parents need is help with cooking.

Franchise vs Independent - Next, you will want to check if the company is an independent provider or a franchise. While this may sound like nothing, you would be surprised at how restricted a franchise can be. Independent agencies often have more flexibility in terms, services and hours than franchises. Unfortunately, a franchise cannot make the decision to offer services not normally covered.

Free Assessment - Any senior care plan should offer a free in-home assessment. This should include the company listening to your needs, your parents' needs, and other concerns that may come up. The assessment should also include services that they may not offer such as medical support or adult daycare services.

Turnover Rate - To ensure continuity of service, the agency should have a low turnover rate. This is the only way to ensure the same person will come out to visit your loved ones. In addition, a lower turnover rate means the agency can offer more training.

Ongoing Training - A solid non-medical senior care agency will require their employees to continue their training. Always ask the agency what sort of training is offered to the employees. At a bare minimum, employees should be trained in CPR and first aid. In addition, you will want to make sure every employee has been trained to handle emergency situations.

Spiritual Requests - Seniors need more than just physical care. They also need emotional and oftentimes spiritual care as well. While most agencies do not provide licensed clergy as a part of their services, you should be able to find one that respects religious values and will make sure your loved one receives spiritual care and/or is taken to services.

Once you have decided that your parents or someone you love needs help, you will need to consider your options carefully. Anyone you hire to help will need to understand the needs of your loved one and be prepared to provide those services on a regular basis. This way stress is reduced on both you and the senior that needs care.