Since your father was in the hospital following a medical emergency, you may have spent a considerable amount of time trying to figure out what’s going to happen when he returns home. A lot of people don’t realize it, but an elder care provider can actually improve the chances of a senior’s recovery following any number of major medical issues.
You might be the one planning to support him. That is completely fine and normal. In fact, the majority of caregivers in the United States today are family members. Yet, that doesn’t make them the best or most suited to improve recovery chances for those same seniors.
Why elder care?
The term encompasses a wide range of support systems and individuals. The most common is a home care provider. This elder care professional would not only be experienced in supporting seniors, but may very well have medical training and licensure to assist with a wide range of supports once your father returns home.
It’s vital that you check what type of elder care you are looking into, because there is a difference between a home care aide and a home health care provider. The former is an individual who could help your father with bathing, toileting, and other basic necessities while the latter is often referred to as a visiting nurse.
You see, when you turn to elder care to help your father following his hospitalization, he can get the support he needs and the direct medical attention required to maintain a positive recovery.
Remember, recovery could take months.
Even though you may be hopeful that your father can get back to ‘normal’ within a matter of weeks, it could be months before he expected his old self.
In some cases, an elderly person may not recover fully and may have to make adjustments to the way they live, where they live, and the kind of assistance they receive on a regular and ongoing basis.
What could elder care do?
Elder care support services could help your father get out of bed, get into and out of the shower, go to the bathroom, exercise, work with a physical therapist on a daily or every other day basis, depending on what the doctor has prescribed, and so forth.
Elder care could also help him by grocery shopping, preparing meals, taking him to and from doctor’s appointments, and so forth.
While family, including you and others, may be more than willing to provide the care and support he needs, if you don’t have prior experience doing this, a lot of things can be missed. Often, unfortunately, many things are missed when family is providing the primary care and support to an aging loved one recovering from a major medical emergency.
The best thing for your father right now is to be surrounded by love and support, which is where family comes in. Second to that, and a very close second, is to have the right support. That can be filled and provided by elder care professionals.