In-home care services is one of the most popular and fastest growing services in the United Kingdom. Companies that provide homecare support offer a wide variety of services that include supervision, personal care and simple companionship. Homecare support providers are ideal for people who wish to stay home, but need ongoing help that friends are not capable of providing. This gives seniors the ability to age in their own house. As people become aware of these services more and more people have chosen to use in-home caregivers as opposed to putting their loved one in a nursing home. In this post we take a look at some of the reasons why.
1) Increase Life Expectancy
It’s a known fact that nursing homes can lower the life expectancy of its residents. The reason being is the fact that homesick seniors are at a much higher risk of developing depression and stress. When we reach a certain age, added stress and depression can accelerate cognitive and physical decline. In addition to this, studies show that the elderly have a much higher chance of getting infections from a nursing home. As such, seniors who age in place, in their own homes, tend to live longer than those that live in nursing facilities.
2) Supports Daily Activities
Many people make the false assumption that in-home care providers only help with medical issues like a certified nursing assistant. However, the reality is that in-home care providers offer distinctive services to cater to different individuals who have their own sets of need. They can help to preserve the dignity of your loved ones by helping them to do daily activities. Some of those include:
- Laundry
- Shopping, Errands
- Exercise
- Companionship
- Housekeeping
- Meal preparation
- Transportation
- Personal Care
3) Diet and Nutrition Support
While it may be true that a nursing home provides health specialists who monitor the health of their residents. Oftentimes, one expert has to handle over a dozen different patients. As such, the concept of ensuring that each patient is abiding by their recommendation is difficult. However, by using an homecare support specialist, your loved one will have access to a diet and nutrition specialist who will allocate all their energy and time to one single patient. Home care experts can provide customized nutritional plans and counseling, as well as to prepare home-cooked meals that can help to ensure that your loved one is getting all the nutrients that they need in relation to their age and medical conditions.
4) Medication Management
Many homeowners have sued nursing homes, for failing to ensure that their loved one received their medication on time. In some horrifying situations, patients were given the wrong medication. This is one of the reasons why medical negligence is particularly high in nursing homes. The reality of the fact is that handling multiple prescriptions can get confusing. A homecare support expert will ensure that your loved one takes the right medication at the times of which they need to take them to minimize the chances of harmful drug interactions.