Choosing to send a parent or loved to a senior care home is always a tough decision to make. Often, family members are faced with the guilt of passing on the responsibility to a caregiver. Some fail to see that it is often the best decision they can make for their loved ones. Of course, it comes with the fact that you’ll have to pick the best fit for them. How do you make sure that you are leaving them in the care of professionals? Here are some tips to help you choose the right option.
Seek Honest Recommendations
Before you even visit senior care homes, ask for recommendations from friends. These people will be the ones who can give you an honest review of a particular senior home’s stay at home care services. If your parents see a geriatric physician, ask if they are currently providing their services for. Include them in your list of possible options. Once you have a list of senior home care, narrow it down by researching them online. Check out reviews that others may have made about home care to identify what you need to note.
Ask for Input
While you may be the primary caregiver making the decisions, it will also help if you ask your parent or loved one what they require from these centers. Do they have a preference for their care? Do they want to have a personal caregiver or do they still prefer to have little help doing activities of daily living (ADLs)? Of course, you should include them in your considerations. Remember, they will be the ones receiving the care from someone else. It is best if they have the freedom to decide or enumerate what they think will make their life bearable.
Prepare Home
If you choose to have your parents stay at home and have a caregiver visit and provide for their needs, you have to make sure that your home is well-prepared to accommodate your parent’s needs. Do any necessary repairs and additions, such as adding bathroom guardrails and hallway lightings. If you have a bedroom on the ground floor of the house, relocate your parents home downstairs. This way, they won’t have a hard time going up and down the home when they need to answer the door or receive delivery packages. You also have to set aside a room for the caregiver to stay at. Invest in technology to help your parents cope with aging.
Check Pricing Structure
Another consideration that you should look into is their pricing structure. Do home services have fixed monthly pricing? Or do they follow per-usage and service pricing? If it is the latter, then do scrutinize how they price each item. Sometimes, senior homes can charge exorbitant prices that are already way beyond the normal. Make sure you know what services are included in their package. Check out the pricing services and fees of Husky Senior Care to get an idea of what you should be looking out for.
Get to Know Caregivers
Your parents will be under the caregiver’s direct care, so it is best to know if the center’s caregivers are qualified to care for seniors. This should be done, especially if your senior parent has ailments that need constant care and supervision. Ask about their qualifications, and do a background check if it gives you peace of mind.
Choosing a senior care home can be a time-consuming process, but it is something that you should set aside time for in order to ensure an easy transition for your loved one.
The Editorial Team at Healthcare Business Today is made up of skilled healthcare writers and experts, led by our managing editor, Daniel Casciato, who has over 25 years of experience in healthcare writing. Since 1998, we have produced compelling and informative content for numerous publications, establishing ourselves as a trusted resource for health and wellness information. We offer readers access to fresh health, medicine, science, and technology developments and the latest in patient news, emphasizing how these developments affect our lives.
