When contemplating senior care for your elderly parent or loved one, you likely think the options are a senior community or hiring a caregiver from a home care agency. In reality, you can do both!
Some seniors require ‘round-the-clock care due to medical conditions, while for others it’s just about convenience or circumstance. Despite the fact that your parent is living in a senior community, it can continue to be difficult to try to juggle work and family life, as well as doctors’ appointments, errands, and even just social visits. This is when a caregiver/companion can help.
When you enlist the help of a private agency within a senior community you are supporting not only your loved one, but also the community care staff and yourself.
The benefits of a caregiver/companion are many. They are able to provide individualized support for loved one’s with dementia and assist with feeding together with helping with all other care needs. However, it’s not just about supportive care. A caregiver companion can also;
- make friendly regular visits and spend quality time with a loved one doing any activity they enjoy
- escort your loved one to medical appointments when you are not able to attend (and report)
- provide transportation to and from appointments and any other outings
- provide cultural support, which often is not available in senior communities
The life in a senior community can become lonely, despite interactions with staff and other residents within the senior community. Moving a loved one to a senior community often means moving further from friends and family, as well as from the lifestyle he/she has always known. A caregiver companion frequently enables the transition to be less lonely with their visits and helping your loved one venture out to see friends, attend church or participate other day-to-day activities.
If you’d like to learn more about how our caregivers and senior communities can co-exist to help both you and your loved one, give us a call.
David Porter, CPCA
Director
Living Assistance Services – Senior Home Care