Losing your independence is hard, but it is all a part of the ageing process, a natural phrase we all must go through. As we age, we lose our strength and vigor, and we can’t get around like use too. The ageing process interferes with our active independent lifestyle by springing on us physical and mental changes. A change in functioning doesn’t indicate complete dependence, but it does indicate a need for extra help. Even subtle changes may imply an elder can no longer complete a simple task independently and needs help.
For instance, a simple task such as walking down the stair is difficult, so this is where a home health aid comes into play. A home health aid provides physical, medical, and supportive care to you in the comfort of your home. Accepting help from the home health aid means you never have to relocate to an assisted care facility. Home Health Aides are there to help you with simple problems that arise in your daily lives. The list below consists of some simple problems a home health aid can help you with:
Personal care: keeping the body clean
As we age, our energy level and attention to details decline, especially our hygiene habits. With the energy reduction, elders become quickly exhausted by the most straightforward task and will opt for a shortcut instead of the usual route. The lack of personal care can lead to bacteria festering, which leads to infections. With a home health aid present, activities will lose their burdensomeness because the home health aid assists where the elderly cannot. House Health Aide can help an elder brush his/her tooth, take a shower, moving in and out of their bed, combing their hair, getting dressed, and all other grooming activities.
Household Care: keeping the house clean.
Seniors are a valuable population and are easy targets for neglect and abuse. However, there is another area of seniority that not talked about: self-neglect. Imagine you visited Grandpa on Saturday, and when you left, the house was in immaculate condition. All the plates were in the right places, and the rubbish was in the bin. A few weeks later, when you visit, it is the total opposite.
Papers are falling out the rubbish bin, dirty dishes in the sink and dust everywhere. Grandpa hadn’t kept the home clean. An elder neglecting to take care of their home is not spiteful because of their cognitive and physical decline. The solution to this problem is a home health aid. Home Health Aides assists with cleaning the home, doing laundry, washing dishes, cleaning the home. They can maintain a clean and healthy environment for the elder.
Medication: Taking the correct medication and dosage
The presence of a Home Health Aide can combat the problems of forgetfulness. Forgetfulness is a normal part of ageing. As we age, changes occur in all aspects of our body, especially the brain. We may have difficulty retaining information, remembering information and even learning new things.
There is no link between mild forgetfulness and severe brain problems, just a natural occurrence as the body changes. Most elders need medication to boost their cognitive capacity, and they often forget to take them. A Home Health aide acts as a reminder for when and how much medication a person needs. They monitor and record their medication intake.
Running errands: Completing task.
As seniors, we must complete tasks outside of the house, and those can be difficult and exhausting our bodies because of mobility and memory issues. Thus, a house health aide is essential in easing the burden of carrying out tasks outside of the home. They can pay bills, transport to and from appointments, complete shopping trips, prescription, and dry-cleaning collection much faster than an elder. And by doing this, they help the elder to maintain their independence and live at home longer.
Meal preparation: Eating Healthy.
Eating is essential at every stage of development. However, malnutrition is a significant health issue for seniors, especially those who live alone. At least one in every three seniors admitted into the hospital per year is malnourished. There are many reasons seniors lose interest in eating, but one plausible reason is the metabolism process slowing down. When an elder doesn’t eat, it takes a toll on their body. Home health aides advise on nutritional meals options and prepare meals eliminating the problem of meals elder eating meals with inadequate nutrients.
Mobility: Getting around safely
As a senior, getting around can be difficult as well as dangerous. At this stage of the ageing process, mobility sometimes puts a lot of strain on the muscles and joints, increasing the possibility of slipping and falling. As it is popularly known, slip and fall are fatal and reduce mobility drastically, making it the leading cause of death among seniors. Poor posture, slow reaction time, poor vision, and side effects from medication are factors that increase the risk of slip and fall. Environmental hazards such as floors and stairs are extremely unsafe as they can incur a slip and fall. With a home health aide present within the home, slip, and falls are nearly impossible. The home health aide makes the environment safer for the elderly to move around.
For instance, a home health aide can help the elder get in and out of the bath without harm or injury.
Personal companion: Reducing loneliness
Home health aides are more than problem solver. They are companions. Many elders tend to live alone, and often they experience heavy feelings of loneliness. A care companion keeps the senior physical and social while ensuring all essential needs are met. Further, all feelings of loneliness dissipate.
Many seniors are against the idea of living in an assisted care facility. Staying home helps to maintain their independence that is slowly diminishing. Many problems arise when the elderly live alone as it is no longer easy for them to care for themselves. With a house health aide, the issues are easier to handle. arise when the elderly live alone as it is no longer easy for them to care for themselves. With a house health aide, the issues are easier to handle.
