If your family is concerned with a senior loved one no longer being able to live completely independently, it’s time to discuss the various options available for senior care. You may be surprised (and relieved!) to know that there are now many different levels of senior care available, and you can most likely find the perfect arrangement to suit your family, and your senior loved one’s needs.
Types of senior care can be broken up into two groups: At home care, and residential care.
At home care.
Many seniors resent the idea of needing to leave their home. They have potentially stayed in their home for a long time, and grown an attachment to the place that the family has shared so many memories. It is also important to many seniors that they can maintain their independence, and staying at home helps with that. There are a few arrangements available in the at home care industry, and they are often quite flexible to the situation.
- Assistance from loved ones.
This is likely the first option a family will attempt. Caring for your senior loved one yourself, or split responsibility between siblings and other loved ones often feels like the easiest option. If you have the capacity to care for your senior parent, it is often a very rewarding task. But unfortunately, most people are unable to devote the time needed. In many instances, especially in a large country such as Canada, family members can be too far spread apart to make this feasible. - Adult day care.
While not actually one-on-one care, adult day care does supply the advantage of ensuring your senior loved one is connected to a community, and there will be suitable individuals ‘keeping an eye’ on them and their health. Adult day care is not typically a long term option, but can be a good transition before full time care is required. - Caregivers.
Families hire caregivers both privately or professionally. Caregiving arrangements are almost always bespoke to the family situation – for example, your senior loved one may at this time only require someone to come to the house one day a week to do regular duties, such as shopping, outings, cleaning, etc., all the way up to round the clock care. Caregiving is a great option for seniors who wish to remain at home. Caregivers can also supply the advantage of companionship, but finding the right person is often the biggest challenge. Going to a business that matches caregivers to seniors helps to reduce the risk involved in hiring an individual for your senior loved one.
In Part II of this post we will detail the options for residential senior care.