Your dad slipped getting out of the shower and broke his leg. He’s very active and accustomed to living alone. He’s always been able to do things by himself. With his broken leg, he can’t drive and going downstairs to do laundry is impossible.
You’re doing what you can to help out. You have your own home, a full-time job, and children. Being a family caregiver is causing a lot of stress. You’re wondering if you can get caregivers for a limited amount of time.
Short-Term vs. Long-Term Home Care
Short-term home care is meant for short periods of time. Most seniors who need short-term care receive it for a few weeks or one or two months. After that, the caregivers stop coming. Once healed, the senior returns to his or her daily routines.
With long-term care, the senior needs help every week or day for the rest of his or her life. If the senior is at home, home care services are arranged until that person dies or has to be moved to a skilled nursing facility or a nursing home.
Either level of care can be canceled when you need to cancel it. If your dad has short-term care and decides he feels safer having someone else with him when he runs errands, you can always extend short-term care into companionship care for a day or two a week.
There’s something else to consider. Statistically, after one fall, a large percentage of seniors end up falling again within a year. Per the CDC, one fall doubles your chances of falling again. You may want to have someone around to help your dad out on a regular basis.
Things Caregivers Help Their Clients Do
Caregivers can help with all activities and instrumental activities of daily living. If your dad needs someone to cook and serve his meals, caregivers can do it. If he needs someone to help him in and out of the shower, caregivers can help. They can bathe him, brush his teeth, and shave his face. Transportation, laundry, housework, scheduling, and medication reminders are also offered.
Create a list of the tasks your dad cannot do for now. Talk to his doctor or physical therapist to get an idea of when he’ll be able to do those tasks on his own again. Once you have this information, call an agency. A home care agency can help you get temporary senior care services arranged.
Sources:
https://www.cdc.gov/homeandrecreationalsafety/falls/adultfalls.html
if you or an aging loved one are considering caregivers in Paker, CO, please contact the caring staff at SYNERGY HomeCare today at 303-953-9924.
