Many seniors think that moving to a personal care home is an “ending.” On the contrary, it’s just a new beginning. Personal care services are just misunderstood. But if seniors and their families just take time to get to know personal care better, they’ll soon find out that it;s a great option for them.
Personal care homes offer services and care to seniors to help them enjoy the activities they love doing. They promote an active lifestyle for seniors in a community setting. Among the services provided are meal preparation, transportation, housekeeping, activities of daily living (ADLs) assistance, companionship, daily support, and group support. Home care services in Pennsylvania have adapted social engagements and activities for seniors that comply with the pandemic-imposed guidelines.
Here are the things you should know about personal care:
Personal care helps seniors become socially engaged.
One of the advantages of personal care is that they promote social engagements among seniors. While seniors may be reluctant to leave their homes, becoming part of a community proves more beneficial to them than what they think. They get to build new friendships and pursue new hobbies and activities.
Being socially engaged can positively affect seniors. Not only does it create a sense of “family” and belonging, but it also improves their physical health and reduces their risk for mental health problems. When they find that they’re not alone in their endeavour, they become more motivated and hopeful.
Seniors are given nutritious and well-balanced meals.
In a personal care home, seniors are well-taken care of. Personal care ensures that seniors get nutritious and well-balanced meals. Proper nutrition is highly important for seniors. With well-balanced meals, seniors stay energized, maintain a healthy weight, and improve their overall health. This also lowers their risk for diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic health conditions.
These diet restrictions can be overwhelming to seniors. However, since they are in a community, they are encouraged to eat healthy meals. When they have special dietary needs due to a specific health condition or upon the advice of their doctors, personal care also makes sure that such special dietary needs are met.
Personal care can be offered for short stays.
Personal care need not be a permanent commitment. Short stay personal care is offered. This is a great arrangement for seniors who have professional caregivers taking care of them at home. To give their caregivers a break to spend some time for themselves and their families, seniors can stay for a short while in personal care homes. Seniors can stay in a personal care home for as short as 5 to 7 days. There, they can continue receiving the care they need and enjoy activities and engagements with other seniors.
Personal care also includes memory care.
Memory care is long-term care. Such type of care is offered for those with dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and other kinds of cognitive impairment. Seniors with cognitive impairment require special care. Personal care homes and assisted living communities have special units and staff members with specialized training to fully care for and assist people with impaired cognition.
Memory care in personal care homes include assistance with daily living, medical monitoring, 24-hour supervised care, and other specialized care.
If you’re considering getting personal care for your aging loved one, the next thing to worry about is the cost of personal care. Medicaid and other insurance don’t cover personal care; however, other long-term care insurance may cover