The Benefits of Hiring a Home Healthcare Aide
This answer may surprise you: When asked what has the greatest influence on my role as a caregiver. I say my mom's home healthcare aide.
Let me tell you, I couldn't be more serious. Here's why: home healthcare aides are rockstars! They have provided me with respite and my mom with basic care and assistance in the comfort of our home. I repeat: in the comfort of OUR HOME.
What is a home healthcare aide?
A home healthcare aide is a personal care worker who provides basic assistance to those with disabilities or elderly people in their homes.
Their responsibilities may include bathing, dressing, meal preparation, accompaniment to appointments, and light housekeeping, such as dishes and laundry.
There are two types of home care aides, live-in and non-live-in. Live-in is hiring someone who lives with you in your home for 24-hour assistance, while non-live-in provides temporary help when needed. You may find that hiring a non-live-in aide is more cost-effective and easier to schedule than hiring a live-in caregiver.
What are some benefits of hiring a home healthcare aide?
Companionship is one of the most important benefits hiring a home healthcare aide brings to your loved one. Even if you have family or friends who visit with your loved one, hiring a home healthcare aide provides a consistent relationship that enables your loved one to form a bond with their aide.
A home healthcare aide can provide respite from caregiving duties for the primary caregiver. This is vital in promoting long-term health and wellbeing for the caregiver. Being a caregiver myself I can identify with the difficulty of managing both physical and mental stress. My mom's home healthcare aide has allowed me time to relax, exercise, or take care of other important duties.
Finding an aide that meets your needs
In order to find a good home healthcare aide, you should consider the following things:
- Experience they have had in caregiving
- Hours available to work with you and your family
- Cost of their assistance
It may be beneficial to interview more than one person before making a final decision because you may want to compare their price, skills, and availability. If you do not have an adequate amount of time to interview them, then it is possible to have them visit for a trial run to see if they are a suitable match.
Hiring a home healthcare aide for Alzheimer's
Hiring a home healthcare aide can be an extremely useful and beneficial tool to patients and caregivers alike. It allows the caregiver time for themselves and their family while giving their loved one companionship and assistance when needed.
If hiring a home healthcare aide sounds like it could benefit your loved one and yourself, then comment below! We would be happy to answer any questions you may have.
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