In-Home Care: Personal Care Services
After a certain age, living an independent life on your own can become increasingly challenging. Age-related cognitive decline, physical disabilities, chronic diseases, and risk of injuries create formidable hurdles for many seniors.
While moving to an assisted living facility is an option, it is far from the popular one. Most Americans wish to live out their sunset years in the familiar comfort of their own homes. This is where personal care services for seniors offer a way forward. In this post, we will explain everything you need to know about personal care services and how they are different from other types of in-home care options.
What are Personal Care Services?
Personal care is an in-home care service utilized by seniors and other individuals who can no longer perform activities of daily living (ADLs) on their own. ADLs include activities like dressing, bathing, toileting, meal preparation, and personal grooming.
This is a non-medical care service, performed by specially trained personal care assistants. The in-home personal caregivers can be asked to come in for a few hours every day, or even stay overnight for 24/7 care if needed. It is a very flexible service.
Apart from ADLs like grooming, toileting, and bathing, personal caregivers can also provide the following services:
- Assistance with moving inside the house
- Housekeeping, cleaning, and laundry services
- Driving the senior to a doctor’s appointment
- Companionship and cognitive stimulation
- Assistance in shopping for groceries and so on
- Give reminders about medication
When is the right time to call a personal caregiver?
Personal care services for seniors can be considered in the following situations:
- They prefer aging in place, or in other words, staying in their homes, close to family and their local community
- They can no longer drive or go out on their own
- They have difficulty moving around the house
- They can no longer maintain the house, do basic cleaning, laundry, for example
- They have difficulty in basic tasks like bathing, going to the toilet
- They can no longer prepare meals on their own
- They have memory troubles due to early-stage Alzheimer’s
Personal Care vs. Companion Care vs. Home Health Care
Companion care is focused on preventing loneliness in seniors who stay on their own. It is an ideal option if they only require light assistance in moving around the house, or in preparing meals. The caregiver will focus more on providing company in hobbies, games, driving them around, etc.
When a senior is suffering from more advanced physical or cognitive conditions and requires assistance with even basic tasks like bathing and toileting, companion care is not enough. A certified home health aide does most of the work of a companion, with additional assistance in ADL.
With that said, certified home health aides are not legally qualified to provide healthcare services. Tasks such as changing catheters, administering injections, and providing physical therapy require caregivers with a nursing degree or other qualifications. These types of services are provided by a nurse.
Advantages/Benefits of Personal Care Services
Personal care services for seniors may be highly beneficial to the individuals and their families in the following ways:
- Helps seniors avoid the trauma of leaving their home for the unfamiliar setting of an assisted living facility
- Can improve the overall health and quality of life of seniors
- Gives peace of mind to families staying far away from the seniors
- Gives some respite to family members who are staying with the seniors (and providing primary care)
- Helps families avoid the trauma of having to force their parents into assisted living facilities or communities
Home to Stay is Here to Help
At Home to Stay (H2S), it is our mission to help families give their senior members a chance at a dignified life in familiar home settings. If you or your loved one is finding it difficult to take care of daily tasks, we can help with our hourly care or live-in services. To learn more about our personal care services for seniors in New Jersey, give us a call at (856) 321-1500 or (732) 820-9611.
