Trying to figure out the best ways to keep your senior loved ones safe and independent at home can be very difficult. As a Certified Senior Care Advisor, I have met with many families struggling to make the very best decisions for their aging and elderly loved ones. Every senior and situation is different, and unfortunately, it’s never easy to decide when or what care is necessary for your loved ones, that is, unless they have expressed and documented their own wishes.
Our Home Helpers caregivers have helped many seniors with serious health conditions requiring varying levels of care. They have aided hospice care nurses and consistently provided the highest levels of palliative, end-of-life, and in-home care, regardless of the client’s needs.
November is my kind of month, because of the dozens of awareness campaigns, this month recognizes Home Care, Hospice Care, and Palliative Care, among many other important themes.
In this blog, I want to explain more about each of these levels of care to increase your awareness and provide detailed information you can use to be better prepared to make educated decisions regarding your senior loved ones in the Clearwater area.
Hospice Care
“In general, hospice care should be used when a person’s life expectancy is projected to be six months or less if the illness runs its course. According to studies, hospice care is frequently delayed. Sometimes a doctor, patient, or family member will object to hospice care because they believe it implies giving up or that there is no hope. It is essential to understand that you can quit hospice and begin active medical therapy at any time. However, the hope that hospice provides is for quality of life, making the most of each day while in the final stages of advanced disease,” says medical author, Dr Sruthi M., MBBS, at MedicineNet.
Hospice Care is:
- Provided to people who are in the later stages of an incurable illness or nearing the end of their life, such as some people with advanced or metastatic cancer, Alzheimer’s, or dementia.
- Provided when no active or curative treatment is available for a critical illness.
- Treating symptoms and negative effects for the patient’s utmost comfort.
- Organized patient care with communication between the medical care teams.
- Provided when life expectancy is six months or less.
Palliative Care
The National Institute on Aging says, “Palliative care is specialized medical care for people living with a serious illness, such as cancer or heart failure. Patients in palliative care may receive medical care for their symptoms, or palliative care, along with treatment intended to cure their serious illness. Palliative care is meant to enhance a person's current care by focusing on quality of life for them and their family.”
Palliative care is:
- Helpful to any senior at any stage of illness.
- Initiated to improve quality of life and symptoms for seniors or any older person experiencing general discomfort or disability.
- Includes a team of professionals to provide medical, social, emotional, and practical support, like specialists, doctors, nurses, social workers, nutritionists, professional caregivers, and chaplains.
- Provided in hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, outpatient palliative care clinics, specialized clinics, or the patient’s home.
End-of-Life Care
End-of-life care is intended to make the patient comfortable during the time they have left. It is about controlling physical symptoms and providing emotional support for the patient, their family, and friends.
Additionally, end-of-life care may include assistance with final wishes and legal documentation, such as a will or Power of Attorney.
End-of-life care is:
- Provided when the person is in the last stage of any critical illness.
- Provided with active curative medical treatment for illness.
- Given as supportive treatment to ease the person's physical symptoms and provide emotional and spiritual support.
- Provided by family, friends, close associates, or caregivers who maintain communication with the patient’s medical care team.
- Life expectancy is not a factor.
Home Care
That’s what we do best at Home Helpers Clearwater. We provide an array of in-home care services to promote senior independence. We want you or your senior loved ones to stay healthy, happy, and comfortable in their own homes.
Home Helpers® Clearwater in-home care services include:
Companion Care - Companionship is vital to keep seniors engaged and socially active. If you or a senior loved one likes movies and lunches out, or crafts and puzzles, I will match a caregiver with shared interests to keep them company and actively engaged.
Homemaker Services - Homemaker’s services help create a safe, clean, and comfortable living environment so your loved one can stay at home, living independently with a greater sense of confidence and security – and with greater peace of mind for you.
Personal Care - Personal care by a professional caregiver offers that needed support with hygiene and nutrition, so your senior or disabled loved one can stay at home where they re happiest and most comfortable.
Nutritional Meal Planning and Preparation - Sometimes, the toughest part of staying healthy is finding time to get the right nutrition and preparing it. Our caregiver meal planning and prep services help you from the grocery store to the kitchen to make the whole process less of a chore. When you have the right fuel, your physical and mental well-being and your quality of life will be positively impacted.
24-Hour Shift Care - Our 24-hour home care services are designed to meet the unique needs of each individual. We work closely with our clients and their families to develop personalized care plans that encompass a wide range of services. From assistance with activities of daily living, medication management, and mobility support to providing companionship and emotional support, our caregivers are available around the clock to provide comprehensive care tailored to your specific requirements.
Specialized Care Services - Many of our caregivers have experience helping clients with conditions like Parkinson’s, Down’s Syndrome, COPD, and heart disease. To ensure we provide the right specialized home care assistance services for you or your loved one, we provide specialized training for our caregivers and customize a care plan accordingly.
Recuperative care - Clients recovering from a major surgery or injury can often use a little assistance as they recuperate at home. Our caregivers can assist with recovery efforts as well as provide comfort and assistance for clients recuperating from surgeries, injuries, or rehabilitation.
Support for Stroke Recovery - Strokes are the leading cause of disabilities in the United States making home care invaluable to someone who is recovering from a stroke. We are here to support and help stroke patients through this difficult time with comprehensive stroke recovery care that will meet a variety of unique needs and requirements.
Respite Care - Family and private caregivers can easily get burned out when spending the majority of their time caring for senior loved ones. Respite care services provide a break for family and private caregivers who need to refresh and recharge.
Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care - Caring for a loved one with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease can present many challenges. Our professional caregivers can ease the burden with customized in-home care services that ensure a higher quality of life and more peace of mind for you, your loved one, and your entire family.
Home Helpers® dementia caregivers receive specialized training and are highly experienced in dementia care, and many are certified in Alzheimer’s care through our partnership with the National Certification Board for Alzheimer Care (NCBAC).
During Home Care, Hospice Care, and Palliative Care Month and over the upcoming holidays, please pay particular attention to your senior loved ones who live alone and who may be experiencing challenges with activities of daily living. If they are struggling or they appear lonely and isolated, I am happy to offer a FREE Consultation to determine how Home Helpers® can improve their quality of life and make their life easier and more enjoyable 24/7/365!
We, at Home Helpers® Clearwater, are honored to have been ranked among the Home Care Pulse Top 100 Leaders in Experience for home care providers in 2023 and to have received the Best of Home Care® Provider of Choice Award 2023, the Best of Home Care® Employer of Choice Award 2023, and the Best of Home Care® Leader in Experience Award 2023.
We proudly serve male and female seniors in Clearwater, Dunedin, Palm Harbor, Safety Harbor, Tarpon Springs, Holiday, New Port Richey, Trinity, Port Richey, Hudson, and surrounding areas. Home Helpers®…we are Making Life Easier℠ 727.942.2539
Sources:
MedicineNet
National Institute on Aging
Hospice Foundation
