More than 30 million Americans provide non-formal care to a loved one over the age of 18. The economic value of their unpaid contributions was approximately $375 billion in 2007. On average, the non-formal caregiver will spend approximately 25 hours a week caring for a loved one.
According to AARP, “The costs of caregiving to caregivers themselves are more than a simple accounting of hours. They include direct out-of-pocket expenses, economic insecurity caused by changes in work patterns, and health effects.”
Often, caregivers spend so much time and effort caring for a loved one they neglect to care for themselves.
Home health care can be an affordable solution for many caregivers looking for support for an ill or aging loved one.
While there are many benefits to inviting home health care professionals into your home, here are five reasons why home care can be especially beneficial to the caregiver:
- Caregiving responsibilities can be isolating
Fear of the unknown, whether you are facing it alone or with your family, is isolating. This fear can be intensified when the unknown element concerns the health of someone you care for. There is nothing lonelier than the feeling of not knowing what to do or who to turn to.
Even with the whole world around you, it’s as though you’ve just landed on an island, surrounded by a sea of a thousand questions but before you drift out to sea, reach for a life raft and call on a home care agency for help.
A good home care company has the resources to work with the insurance company and other health providers so you don’t have to. They are able to navigate the unknown to get you the care your loved one needs.
The challenges of deciding on a plan of care is diminished when going through a reputable agency with shared values that can provide you with a team of experts to help you make appropriate decisions. Ultimately, a good home care company is the support system you need when you least expect needing it.
- Caregivers are often in crisis mode
As a primary caregiver, you do a lot of research and planning to maintain balance between your caregiving responsibilities and your everyday responsibilities. You have everything planned out, and then you get an unexpected call.
Mom calls: “It’s Dad, he was taken to the hospital again”
You drop everything. You call the neighbor. “It’s an emergency. Can you watch the kids?”
Then you quickly shift into crisis mode. What will your parents do when he’s discharged from the hospital? Will your mom be able to handle another emergency should one arise? How will you manage his discharge and all the paperwork?
The answer to all your questions is simple: reach out for help. You can have a health care professional evaluate your loved one to determine the best course of action, handle the paperwork, and coordinate with discharge planners for you. They work with you and your loved ones to translate the medical jargon into a language you can understand.
A home care company can give you back time: time with your loved ones, time for work, and time to take care of yourself. Home care is there when you cannot be, when you have too much to do and too little time. Working with a home care company means you no longer have to operate in crisis mode, and you don’t have to bear the weight of it all on your own.
- Caregivers need support 24 hours a day 7 days a week
Worry and anxiety seem to go hand in hand with caregiving. Working with a home health care company that understands your worry and anxiety makes all the difference.
The right home care company understands all the little things that bring peace of mind to a family. If your loved one lives with multiple chronic conditions, making sure they are getting the right care is always top priority. Home care professionals become your ally, standing by your side, ready to give you the support you need and the care your loved one deserves.
Enlisting a good home health care company ensures you and your family feel cared for and supported 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
- Caregivers put their lives on hold
Caregivers are devoted to caring for their loved ones. Concerns about healing and comfort are almost constant. The question they often ask themselves is “Am I doing enough?” These kinds of thoughts can intrude on day-to-day life—the simplest tasks like cooking, cleaning, and grocery shopping becomes a challenge when you are constantly worried about someone you care for.
This makes the balance between your life and their health hard to manage. Working with home care can help you manage what once seemed unmanageable. Home care appreciates your need to keep life as normal as possible and they will respond to your and your loved one’s needs with urgency.
- Caregivers know, home is where the heart is
When given the choice, most people want to be cared for at home. Home is where you go to rest. It represents warmth and comfort; it is where you have spent your happiest moments. Moments of comfort you cannot find in a hospital or facility environment.
The difference a home care agency and its professionals will make in your life as a caregiver only promotes further healing for all those in need. Put simply, you can find solace for yourself and your loved one through home care.
A great home care agency understands love and compassion and appreciates that the lives they touch every day makes a difference in their own. Contact us today to learn about the benefits of home health care for you and your loved ones.
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