"The stairs are getting
hard to climb."
"Since my wife passed, I
just open a can of soup for dinner."
These are just
two common statements you may hear as someone ages. What to do?
Planning ahead is hard, you never know how your needs might change. Perhaps you don’t need help but know someone
who does. The first step is to think
about what kind of help you would want.
So what’s available for in-home care? Here’s a quick breakdown:
Personal Care
– This covers hygiene assistance such as bathing, washing hair, dressing, etc.
Homemaking –
Assistance with chores like housecleaning, grocery shopping, and laundry.
Meals –
Eating out is one option, but can be expensive.
Home delivered meals are another choice.
Assistance with in-home meal preparation is generally most popular.
Health Care –
This may cover anything from assistance for someone just released from medical
treatment, transport to a Doctor’s appointment, to helping manage
medicines. There are also electronic devices
designed to dispense your medicines.
Check out www.abledata.com for a
great listing of assistive devices.
Where to find help? Obviously, if
you’re reading this, you’ve made a good start.
Your Doctor or friends that have had the same experience can also be
invaluable, as well as local Senior Centers or Council On Aging offices.
Once you’ve chosen
your services, check out www.govbenefits.gov
or http://www.benefitscheckup.org/
to find out about any local benefits that may be available. Finally, if you are a veteran, call our
office to find out how certain benefits may offset your home care costs.
The final tip! Don’t wait
until you have to make a choice. Do a
little planning in advance. If you have
questions, call us!
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