Aging in place is an increasingly popular choice for elder care. It offers a variety of benefits, including personalized care and improved mental health due to a familiar environment and proximity to family. For every advantage, however, aging in place also presents challenges for family and loved ones. Comprehensive in-home care is an excellent way to overcome these challenges. It provides professional service while freeing family caregivers to focus on the relationship they share with their loved ones.
Serenity Home Care, a comprehensive homecare agency, is licensed by the Oregon Health Authority, Health Care Regulation, and Quality Improvement. We also comply with Oregon Administrative Rules’ requirements of Division 536 as a Comprehensive In-Home Care Agency. Here, we discuss what seniors and their families should know about aging in place with homecare services.
Benefits of Aging in Place
When possible, most adults prefer to age in place – and for good reason. Staying home carries many emotional benefits, from independence to familiarity and nearness to family. It also offers practical advantages like reduced expenses and personalized care. Here are just a few reasons why seniors and families favor aging in place:
Autonomy
Though nursing homes do their best to enrich their residents’ lives, they are naturally limited in what they can offer. By caring for your loved one at home, you preserve their freedom to continue daily routines, social life, and activities as they please.
Familiar Environment
Moving is disruptive, and seniors especially may struggle to adjust to a new environment. Caring for loved ones at home allows them to age in a comfortable, familiar space. This positively impacts emotional health and may minimize dementia and similar conditions.
Personalized Care
Communities with dozens or hundreds of residents cannot always tailor service for each individual. At home, however, you only have one senior to care for. Your loved one enjoys the benefit of direct, one-to-one attention and personalized care.
Nearness to Family
Finally, aging in place allows family members and friends to stay involved in their loved one’s life. Visiting isn’t restricted by long travel times, strict open hours, or appointment bookings. Instead, you can spend time together just as you normally would.
Challenges for Family Caretakers
Though aging in place carries many benefits, it also presents unique challenges. Not every household is equipped to maintain a high quality of life for your loved one. It may also limit your lifestyle, sacrificing personal time that would otherwise provide a valuable opportunity to rest and de-stress. Other hurdles that family caretakers often experience include:
Time Commitment
Elder care is a major obligation. Medical support, housekeeping, hygiene, transportation, meal prep – all of these take time. Though you’re willing to make sacrifices for a loved one, it’s easy to feel frustrated about the extra responsibility and loss of personal time.
Limited Resources
You may also lack the time required to provide adequate support and companionship. Careers, schooling, and other obligations will pull you away from your loved one, creating periods of isolation without company or direct attention.
Inexperience
You likely aren’t a medical professional. Neither can you become one overnight. Good intentions and careful research aren’t sufficient substitutes for professional training. If something goes wrong with a medical condition, you may find yourself underprepared.
Overcoming Obstacles With Comprehensive Home Care
Luckily, family caregivers don’t have to manage this task alone. Providers like Serenity Home Care offer comprehensive home care, delivering high-quality service in the comfort of your loved one’s residence.
Each senior will be paired with an in-home caregiver during comprehensive home care. These professionals are trained to provide a variety of medical, physical, practical, and emotional assistance to ensure an optimal quality of life. These services can be customized to meet individual needs and may include:
- Light housekeeping and laundry
- Meal preparation
- Bathing, dressing, and hygiene
- Gentle physical exercise
- Mental and social stimulation
- Mobility assistance
- Transportation for errands and appointments
- Assistance with medications
- Nursing evaluations and monitoring
- Alzheimer’s and memory care
This system allows seniors to experience personalized, professional support not found in most nursing homes or communities. They’ll spend their golden years surrounded by loved ones in a familiar environment while pursuing their favorite activities. Meanwhile, family caregivers are free to follow their own lifestyles with the peace of mind that their loved one is well cared for.
Choosing a Comprehensive Home Care Program
When selecting a program to work with, you must find one committed to your best interests. Serenity Home Care is a family-owned and operated agency that extends this dynamic to caregivers and clients. Our highly trained employees are kind, patient, even-tempered, and empathetic. We have a low turnover rate with caregivers, allowing consistent care and lifetime client relationships. This also means that many of our caregivers have long-term experience in the industry.
Serenity Home Care is located in Beaverton, Oregon, serving the state with high-quality home care for seniors aging in place. To learn more or enroll, contact us today.
