Hiring Home Care for After a Serious Illness

By Jamie Shapiro | April 22, 2015 | Comments Off on Hiring Home Care for After a Serious Illness

Home Care in Skokie IL

As a family caregiver caring for elderly parents you face many challenges. The additional difficulty of caring for a senior who has recently suffered a serious illness, however, can make giving this care overwhelming. Extra demands from the recovery needs on top of the care your parents already receive on a daily basis may be too much for you to handle on your own, particularly if you do not live with your aging parents and have other obligations in your regular life, such as raising children or managing a career. If your elderly loved one has recently suffered a serious illness, hiring a home care provider can ease your worries and make you feel more confident he will receive the care he needs throughout his recovery.

Some of the benefits of introducing home care as your elderly parent recovers from an illness include:

• Continuous care. If you are unable to be at your parents’ home at all times while your senior is recovering, an in home health care services provider can step in to fill the gaps so that your parent is never alone. This is especially important in the early stages of recovery when recognizing new or worsened symptoms is paramount to successful recovery.

• Rest compliance. Many seniors are frustrated by the need to rest while they recover and, if given the opportunity, push themselves too hard in the early phases of recovery. While gradually building up activity during recovery is important, doing too much too soon can result in major setbacks. Having a home care provider in their home ensures they get the rest their doctor recommends by letting the care provider handle tasks throughout the home and remind your parents to relax.

• Treatment reminders. Remembering to take medications and perform other treatment activities can be challenging for many seniors, particularly they are still not feeling well due to the illness. The home care provider can offer treatment and medication reminders so that your parent does not miss what he needs.

• Emotional support. Going through a serious illness is stressful and upsetting, and the recovery process can be just as emotionally trying. An in home health care services provider can offer emotional support and companionship to keep your elderly loved one’s mood elevated. Emotional and mental health play an important role in physical recovery, so having this care provider in the home can help your parent recovery more quickly and more effectively.

• Monitoring. In the first few days and even weeks of recovery your parents are at the greatest risk of developing new and worsened symptoms. Some of these indicate a medical emergency that requires immediate attention. A home care provider can monitor your parents to see if they show any new symptoms or worsening of their existing symptoms so if the need arises, your parent can get to urgent medical care. Having this type of monitoring and recording of symptoms is also useful for follow-up appointments because it allows you to tell the doctor how your parent is progressing and what types of symptoms he still has at different points throughout his recovery.

If your elderly parent has recently suffered a serious illness or is being discharged from the hospital after an illness to continue his recovery at home, get in touch with the elder care agency in your area to discuss hiring a home care provider. Ask for a care provider who has experience caring for a senior coping with the same types of symptoms your parent is experiencing.

If you or an aging loved one are considering home care services in Skokie, IL, contact the caring staff at Companion Services of America today at (847) 943-3786. Our home care service area includes Northbrook, Highland Park, Deerfield, Glenview, Buffalo Grove, Evanston, Des Plaines, Skokie, Lake Forest, Wilmette and the surrounding areas.

Jamie Shapiro
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