Home Care: It can be scary to realize that your elderly family member needs help immediately and unexpectedly.
Even if you’ve known for a while that you would be your senior’s primary family caregiver, you might have thought that home care would happen much farther down the line. The timing doesn’t have to throw you completely, though.
Talk to Her about Her Needs
Sit down with your senior, if possible, and have an open and loving talk about her current needs. She may not be fully aware of just what her needs are, either. Talking through what’s going on in terms of her medical issues, her cognitive function, and her safety at home can help both of you to get on the same page. From there you can work together to put together a plan that helps both of you to feel more secure.
Find out What Her Doctor Recommends
Your conversation with your senior can help you to understand immediate needs. Talking with her doctor can help you to get a better idea about what to expect in both the immediate future and farther down the road. Your senior’s doctor can also help you to clear up any concerns that you and your senior have about what she does need right now.
Look at What You’re Able to Do to Help
It’s possible that you need to rearrange some things in your own life in order to be more accommodating for your elderly family member’s needs. Just what are you able to do for her right away? If there are other family members who might be able to help while you’re shifting things around, that might be a good plan for now.
Home Care: Consider Extra Help Right from the Start
Even if you do have some family members who can help, it’s a good idea to consider hiring extra help right from the start. Home care providers can step in and fill gaps that you didn’t even realize existed. They can help you to get a handle on safety and mobility concerns, which can help you to feel more secure as you take on more responsibilities as your senior’s family caregiver.
It can be a struggle at first to feel as if you’re meeting your senior’s needs fully, especially when you’re suddenly in charge of more of her home care than you expected you would be. Having a plan and having some help can make all of that a lot easier to manage.
If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Home Health Care in Silver Lake, CA, please contact the caring staff at Home Care Help. Serving All of Los Angeles County. Call Us Today (888) 989-7388
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