Out of those aged 65 and older, 87 percent want to stay in their own homes as they age. However, when people get older, the duties of homeownership can become taxing as daily tasks become difficult.
In-home care services can help seniors remain in their homes. Misconceptions about these services keep families from taking advantage of this option. Here are five misconceptions you shouldn’t believe about in-home care services.
1. Only Very Sick People Need Home Care
If your loved ones aren’t suffering from life-threatening illnesses, they may think they can’t receive home care. It’s a common misconception that only very sick people need home care. While home care can be useful for people who are receiving palliative care, you don’t need to be very ill to receive it. In fact, you don’t need to be sick at all.
Anyone who needs help with daily tasks can use in-home care services. If your loved ones are having trouble with daily tasks as they age, but are otherwise in good health, home care services can help.
2. Home Care is Very Expensive
Another common misconception about in-home care services is they’re very expensive. When families think home care costs are too high, they don’t seek it out. This means seniors who could really use the help end up going without.
In reality, home care services are an affordable option. They’re certainly more affordable than options like nursing homes or in-home nursing services. Many seniors only need a few hours a week of assistance, and you only need to pay for the care they receive. If your loved ones only need occasional care, you may be surprised at the affordability of caregivers.
3. Seniors Lose Their Independence with Home Care
Your loved ones may worry they’ll lose all their independence when they get a caregiver. This is a common misconception. While they might lose their independence in a nursing home, aging at home is different. Caregivers only do as much as their clients want, so your loved ones can retain as much independence as possible.
If your loved ones only need a few hours a week of assistance, they’ll be independent the rest of the time. Even if the caregiver is present during much of the week, your loved ones can still enjoy independence. Caregivers customize their care plans for each client, so they won’t take over tasks your loved ones are able to handle on their own.
4. Caregivers Are Poorly Trained
Not all home care services are the same. Some less reputable services do not offer thorough training to their caregivers. Others are very professional and offer a lot of training to their caregivers. The former group is why some people worry that all in-home caregivers are poorly trained. Before you hire a home care service, ask questions to find out about their training requirements.
When you hire a reputable in-home care service, you don’t need to worry about the quality of the caregivers. At reputable services, the caregivers have experience working with seniors before they’re hired. After they’re hired, they receive extensive training to ensure they’re able to provide the best service for seniors.
5. Caregivers Don’t Care About Clients
Some people may worry that their caregivers won’t care about them. They worry the caregivers are only there to earn a paycheque. If your loved ones are worried about this, reassure them that caregivers care about their clients. People become caregivers because they want to help people and they like working with seniors. People who don’t have those interests will work in other industries.
Caregivers only work with one client at a time, so your loved ones can form real relationships with their caregivers. This bond helps caregivers feel good about what they’re doing, and it helps seniors feel good, too.
