How to Find the Ideal Home Care Options for Mom
March 2, 2017
If you’re looking for the right things for your mother right now, maybe she’s in her 70s or 80s and is struggling with her own basic care, it may not be as easy as you would think. A lot of family
Home Care in Palo Alto CA: How to Find the Ideal Home Care Options for Mom
members feel it’s their responsibility to take care of their aging parents and other loved one. However, more and more people today are extremely busy with their careers, raising their own family, and doing many other things throughout the community.
When you realize how beneficial hiring a home care aide can be, that’s just the first step. You need to sit down and have a lengthy and serious conversation with your mother about the prospect of home care options.
There are numerous options available, including visiting nurses, physical therapist, occupational therapist, other medical professionals, and home care aides.
Determine her needs.
When you sit down to talk about home care with your mother, discuss her needs. Her needs, or as she perceives them, may be different than your perceptions. She may assume she only need some help to go to the store to do some shopping once a week. However, you see her struggling to get up out of the chair, so how difficult is it for her to carry a basket of laundry down to the basement where the washer and dryer is?
Express your observations and listen to her perspective. You may be able to convince her about things she’s having difficulty accepting on her own, and she may be able to convince you that she is still capable of doing certain things without support.
Understand her wants.
What does your mother want? She may prefer to have you as her primary caregiver, but that’s not always the best solution. She may only be willing to work with somebody for a couple of hours a day few days a week. That would be fine, especially if you hired through an agency.
Remember to listen to her.
When we are worried about the safety and well-being of a family member, we often take it upon ourselves to dictate what can or can’t happen, what they should or shouldn’t do, but you need to take time to listen to her carefully.
Absorb what she’s saying, don’t react to anything, let it sink in for a day or two. You may find some great insight that will make this process even smoother.
Hire through an agency.
Home care agencies are the best option when seniors need support. You get greater flexibility, more experienced caregivers, and a greater selection of caregivers with whom your mother may get along great.