If you’re new to having a Personal Support Worker (PSW) help care for an aging parent or other family member, you may not be sure how much care they truly need. Some families are looking for a little extra help or an added layer of safety in the home, while others know that their aging relatives need a significant amount of support each day. When your loved one’s needs are somewhere in the middle, it can be difficult to know what you’re looking for.
Our homecare services are designed to be personalized and flexible, which means you can schedule a caregiver once a week, for a short shift every morning or evening, for full shifts during the week or even 24 hours a day. We offer respite care and convalescent care to provide solutions for temporary needs, and are able to adjust weekly care schedules as needed to reflect a client’s preferences or changing abilities.
Living Assistance Services would be pleased to offer a no-obligation consultation and help identify the appropriate caregiver schedule for your loved one. In the meantime, consider asking yourself these questions to help decide where to start. Thanks for reading and if you’d like to know more about in-home caregiver services in Toronto or the surrounding areas, please contact us. We’d be glad to hear from you!
Ask yourself these questions
Each client we work with has unique needs that reflect their physical, cognitive and emotional health as well as their family’s ability to provide care. Some families book a caregiver to assist with specific tasks (bathing and dressing, for example), while others require daily or even 24-hour care. If you’re not sure how much assistance your aging loved one needs, ask yourself these questions—it’s an effective way to assess their ability to perform Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) and live independently.
- Is my aging loved one safe on their own for a short time? All day? Overnight?
- Is mobility an issue? Toileting? Feeding? Taking medication on time?
- Do they wear a fall monitor or other emergency device? Should they?
- Does my aging loved one remember to eat and stay hydrated when alone?
- Is choking while eating an area of concern?
- Does my aging loved one require support in taking (or remembering to take) prescription medications?
- Does my aging loved one need overnight support?
- Would they call for help if necessary? How far away are friends/family members who could help on short notice or in an emergency?
- Is personal care and/or companionship the main priority, or is safety a significant concern?
- Can family members consistently provide support? If so, how much support can they reasonably provide with feeling overwhelmed or burnt out?
- Is the aging loved one in question open to receiving caregiver support, or should it be introduced slowly?
Once you’ve answered these questions, consider discussing your notes with other family caregivers as well as your aging loved one, if appropriate. Just remember to be sensitive when describing their needs or talking about the services that would benefit them—it will not help if they feel infantalized, and you want to create space for their input. After your initial consultation, our team will provide recommendations and work with your family to create a schedule that pleases everyone involved. Again, if you have any questions about our services, please contact us—we look forward to speaking with you.