The Perks of Having a Home Health Caregiver for Your Aging Parent

Posted by HelpFindCare on August 27th, 2013

Aging is a natural occurrence; and though we grow wiser with age, our body slows down to the point that we may require the assistance of another person to undertake our daily life tasks. You may not be in this phase of your life just yet, but you may find that your parents are. The reality is, you are not always available to look after your aging mother and father, and so what are your options to ensure they can continue with a good quality of life?

The first thing that usually comes to mind is having your parent in a healthcare center or skilled nursing home where he or she will be looked after 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. But then again, this kind of setup implies a lot of disadvantages such as expensive costs, significant lifestyle adjustments, and the possible stresses of disintegration. In this case, considering an alternative arrangement such as having home health care services from a professional caregiver may be a better choice.

Cut Down on Healthcare Costs

There are a number of benefits to having a home health caregiver for your parents, starting off with you reduction in healthcare costs. According to a recent Genworth survey (CNN Money, 2013), the cost of living in a healthcare facility or nursing home is at about $80,000 a year, and with costs at a steady climb of up to 4% annually. Hiring a home healthcare professional may cost only half of that or less, at an average of only $44,479 a year.

A Personal Level of Care

It is worth pointing out that though home healthcare services cost dramatically less than the services of a nursing home, the level of care your parent is expected to receive is not compromised. In fact, an in-home caregiver implies a personalized kind of care for your elderly parent, and right in the comfort of their own familiar home.

Since your home caregiver looks after your aging parent exclusively, they will build a consistent personal relationship and understand their special needs. You can expect to have a better kind of care and service compared with a service that employs dozens of different healthcare workers in different shifts who manage possibly hundreds of patients in their facility.

In addition to this, in-home health aides and caregivers today have better competencies and proficiencies that make them at par with the professionals and other healthcare aides working in nursing homes. In fact, many caregivers are actually certified nurses with an extensive medical background.

Less Adjustment, Less Stress

Annother Genworth study (CNN Money, 2013) showed that 78% of their senior respondents would choose to receive home health care over moving into an assisted living facility, nursing home, or similar facility. Though there are varying reasons for this, one thing may be implied from this response: the adjustment that the aging adults may have to go through is a very discouraging prospect.

Unparalleled Peace of Mind

Finally, having a home health care provider for your elderly mother or father should definitely give you more peace of mind. You as well as their primary doctors and nurses have assurance knowing that a caregiving professional is regularly checking on their well-being and medical needs, while they remain in the comforts of their own home. It is also more likely that friends and family will be able to visit them regularly if they are not transitioned to another facility away from their home.

About HelpFindCare

Help Find Care gives both caregivers online and those who need care the tools to manage their in-home care online. Caregivers, registered nurses and geriatric care managers can use the website to search for caregiving jobs, set their wages and weekly schedule, receive weekly payment, and build their resume and portfolio with real experience. Care seekers, or family members looking for someone to help care for their parents