Senior Care Can Help You Cope with a Temporary Disability
Hiring a temporary senior caregiver can make a huge difference in the lives of elderly individuals who have suffered from a fall or other disability. If your parent, aging loved one, or family member has recently suffered a disability or other mobility problem and is recovering, he or she may require a lot of care and supervision from you until mobility is restored. If you don’t have the time to devote to your loved one or if he or she prefers to remain in the comfort of his/her own home, hiring a senior care provider can make recovery easier for your loved one.
How Senior Care Can Make a Difference For Your Loved One
Some parents enter assisted living facilities, others move in nursing homes, and others move closer to or in with a child. Should your loved one prefer the comfort of his or her own home, or if he or she lives alone and requires transportation or help of any kind, a senior care provider can help. Whether your loved one is recovering at his or her home or yours, it’s a good idea to hire a senior care provider who can assist your parent with shopping, cleaning, cooking, daily household chores, bathing, and any other necessary tasks that have become difficult and in some instances dangerous to carry out. A senior care provider is still available to help if the situation is ongoing and if the disability is long term.
A senior care provider can also help parents and loved ones with mobility problems who fear they’ll fall again by evaluating your parent’s home to make sure it’s safe. Your senior care provider will make sure to:
Remove clutter from the floor (and do so regularly to prevent trips and falls).
Clearing the hallway and space between your loved one’s bed and the bathroom.
Ensure that all floor rugs are fastened down, or replaced with safer options.
Install or help choose proper grab bars for the bathroom, i.e. near the toilet and shower.
Improve lighting near staircases, doorways, and hallways.
Ensure all steps have handrails next to them.
When recovering, your parent, spouse, or loved one should not carry heavy loads (this includes laundry, garbage, etc…) as they could lose their balance and become destabilized. A senior care provider can help with everyday tasks such as these, and help prepare meals, run errands, and provide means of transportation. Even if your loved one has been lucky enough to avoid a mobility limiting disability, he or she may still suffer from arthritis and any other minor injury that could limit movement.
Your loved one may be at risk for falls while recovering from a temporary disability. This is especially true if he or she has difficulty walking or getting up from chairs or out of bed, difficulty maintaining balance, or feelings of dizziness and weakness. Loved ones with Alzheimer’s sometimes forget limitations and are at an increased risk for future injuries. Prevent a fall or injury from occurring during recovery period with help from a senior care provider.
Senior care is one option for aging parents and loved ones with temporary disabilities as it allows them to remain safely in their homes as long as possible and recover safely—caregivers visit as needed and take care of everyday tasks and services, including cleaning, running regular errands (cleaning and stocking the refrigerator), managing doctor’s appointments, and accident proofing your loved one’s home—this includes checking rugs to prevent slips, adding safety bars to the shower, and anything else to prevent falls and ensure a safe living environment. These small steps of senior care can really ease the burden on your loved one and make a big difference in their quality of life during his/her period of recovery.
Most individuals aren’t sure if they need help or don’t know the next steps to finding senior care. Proper planning is one way to alleviate future stress—contact a compassionate senior care provider and learn more about services and options.
