How to Find Care for the Elderly
Elder care can vary, depending on the particular need and health of the person you wish to help. There are many programs that offer assistance, from basic food subsidizing to home care specialists to nursing homes. From physicians to home health aides, you'll want to make the best choices. This can take a bit of effort, as you'll want to interview each care provider at length, and it often helps if the elder can be present to be sure he feels comfortable with each person who will be involved in his care. Sometimes trying to find the right support can be overwhelming. However, when you do, you can usually trust that your parent or loved one is in good hands.
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Instructions
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Ask your family members and friends for suggestions and references. Many adults contend with caring for their aging parents or friends and solid references are a good way to start.
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Ask the elder's physician(s) for references, too. They will help put you in touch with good referrals for nursing care, home health assistance, physical therapists, and more. In fact, sometimes you cannot access these services without a doctor's input or signature.
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Check your city and state social services programs to meet any needs for food, shelter, low income senior housing, or medical care. Medicaid programs vary in their requirements and limitations, so investigate carefully.
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Contact the Social Security Administration to find out about any help they might offer, especially for people with disabilities, or if problems arise with monthly checks.
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Visit adult family homes, nursing homes and retirements homes with the elder. While many of these are reputable, some are not and you want detailed information as well as a clear sense of each facility. Ask for references from other people who may have a similar situation. No senior likes being placed into a home outside of their own; however, in some cases there's no other option. Always be patient, loving and compassionate and try to understand their feelings. You are their prime source of support and you'll build trust by asking to know their thoughts and feelings about each situation. Even if you have to go to 10 facilities to find the right one, it will make life for everyone far better in the long run.
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Look online or in your local yellow pages for senior services, home health aides, and other care people. Screen each person carefully. You may also want to run your own ad or post on a website or forum that supports people facing similar issues. Check local newspapers, too. Whether you are seeking out-care for a couple hours a day or live-in help for round-the-clock care, you will have many possible people to choose from. Discern the best ones.
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Contact a local hospice unit if your elder is terminally ill or has a long-term illness that might need the extra care hospice provides. This is a tough one, because everyone in the family may have to come to grips with the situation. End of life issues may arise, but hospice programs offer excellent support and ways to ease suffering, pain, and fears.
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Tips & Warnings
Helping secure excellent elder care can seem to be stressful at times, so be sure you take care of yourself also.
Check with the Better Business Bureau about professional private companies and make sure there have been no complaints of merit.
Background checks may be important to some people, but in certain cases a very minor infraction may surface from someone's past years back. If your care provider seems excellent in every way you hoped for, ask them to discuss this with you before writing the person off entirely. Sometimes the records themselves are flawed. Use your head, but also use your intuition.
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