Here in the United States, hospice care has become very important indeed, especially with the rising population of senior citizens that can be seen all throughout the country as the baby boomer generation continues to age. And as people age, they also often begin to require help with basic tasks, from help with safe bathing to meal preparation to even just getting around the home.
After all, living alone can prove to be all too dangerous for many a senior citizen, of whom up to 70% will require, at some point in their later years, some level of long term care. For many elderly people, living alone can too easily prove to be a fall risk. Falls for seniors can be devastating – and can even be life ending, depending on how they fall, where they fall, and how quickly they are able to receive help. For many seniors, falls can lead to many other complications, from the risk of infection to a lack of mobility and declining quality of life.
In fact, many seniors find that the risk of a fall is not worth living completely independently – but the thought of moving to an assisted living facility is still very far from being in any way appealing. After all, up to 90% of all seniors are planning on staying in their own homes as long as they are possibly able to. For many people, this will require the help of live-in care or some type of sitter services. In some cases, hourly care might even be necessary.
Live-in care professionals can provide more than just hourly care, though hourly care is likely to be the brunt of what they are doing. Aside from hourly care, these nurses and caregivers will also be able to do things like light housekeeping. After all, a patient who is need of hourly care is likely to not be able to care for their home at the standards of what was once possible for them. In addition to both hourly care duties and housekeeping tasks, running errands – such as to get groceries or even medications – is also commonplace for many a live in care professional working here in the United States. Again, someone in need of hourly care is unlikely to be able to drive themselves around, making the help of these aforementioned care professionals all the more important for such patients.
And live in care professionals do even more, going so far in the line of duty to be referred to as companion aides. These aides can provide the hourly care that keeps patients safe, but they can also provide them with companionship as well. This companionship can be truly just as important as any other aspect of the hourly care that is being provided, as elderly people often find themselves feeling alone and isolated in their old age, especially as their friends all around them either pass away or enter assisted living facilities of their own. For many elderly people, the caring companionship of a home health aide can do wonders for their overall outlook on life, and the hourly care should always include some level of socialization.
However, even the best hospice care in the world is sometimes not enough, and some patients will eventually need to be transferred to assisted living facilities or nursing homes, depending on the level of care as well as the type of care that they are in need of. In addition to hourly care, for example, some elderly people will also need round the clock supervision, something that those providing in home care for seniors are not always able to do. In nursing homes, patients who need more help can get it – and can therefore get the level of care that they need and deserve as well.
At the end of the day, it is important to meet the care needs of our senior citizens, a population that is on the rise all throughout the United States – as well as in a number of other places all throughout the world as well. From hourly care to companionship, there are many ways these needs are met.
