Elder Care Options: Home Care Helper Or Skilled Nursing Professional?

Many senior adults are opting to live independently while staying in their homes. Because of this, you may need to make choices about your loved one's day-to-day care. If you are unable to take on the role of your aging loved one's primary caretaker, you may need to consider in-home elder care services. There are a number of options available for home care, depending upon your loved one's health and psychological needs. Here are some elder care options to consider. 

Home Care Helper

Aging adults who need help with simple household chores should consider a home care helper, a non-medical care provider. He or she can help your loved one with his or her personal care, laundry, and cleaning while providing companionship to a person who may be at risk for social isolation, anxiety, or depression.

These services are different from those offered by a skilled nursing professional. The home care helper can assist the senior with his or her activities of daily living such as grooming, bathing, dressing, and eating, as well as helping with meal preparation, errands, grocery shopping, and medication reminders. The home care helper can live with the senior or "come and go" on an as-needed basis. 

In-Home Nursing Services

A registered nurse or licensed practical nurse can provide assistance to elderly people who have medical needs. In-home nursing services may be appropriated for your senior loved one if he or she needs surgical wound care, tracheostomy care, or colostomy care. In addition, if the aging adult has diabetes and requires daily injections of insulin along with frequent glucose monitoring, an in-home nurse would be the right choice.

A home care nurse provides skilled care and not typically routine or "custodial" care for aging adults. Other services provided by an in-home nurse include the administration of oral medications, intravenous treatments, oxygen therapy, and decubitus ulcer treatments.

Having a nurse take care of the elderly individual may allow the person to stay in the home longer. The in-home nurse can also monitor the individual for signs and symptoms of infections, heart problems, diabetic reactions, or medication side effects. When troublesome signs and symptoms are recognized early on, the nurse can contact the physician so that prompt treatment can be implemented. 

Consider the above elder care options for your senior loved one. With proper in-home care services, aging individuals can thrive and enjoy their homes for as long as possible. 

For more information, contact companies like Always Right Home Care.