Adult Children Providing At-Home Care for Seniors

Understanding In-Home Care for Senior Parents

What Does At-Home Care for Seniors Include?

At-home care for seniors may include nonmedical assistance with daily living tasks, such as meal preparation, dressing, personal hygiene, and housekeeping, as well as emotional support. 

You can help ensure your parent has the support they need to remain independent longer by using home care services.

According to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), “There are many resources available to help older adults continue to live in their homes and participate in their communities.” LifeSpring Home Nutrition helps older adults maintain independence by providing simple-to-prepare nutritional meals.

How Do Family Caregivers Support a Loved One at Home?

Family caregivers without training can provide basic assistance, such as medication reminders, transportation to doctor appointments, food shopping, mobility assistance, and self-care support. 

Older adults may have specific needs that family members can accommodate through practical support and coordinate home health care.

Often, a close family member also plays a significant role in identifying when their loved one would benefit from transitioning to higher levels of care. A family caregiver knows their loved one and can usually recognize the signs when they may need a different type of care to remain healthy and safe.

What Care Needs Should You Expect as Parents Age?

Some age-related issues your parents may experience include: 

• Difficulty dressing, showering, or completing other daily tasks of self-care 
• Loss of energy and inability to keep up with household chores
• Mobility issues impacting physical and emotional wellness
• Memory problems and difficulty focusing
• Side effects from chronic health conditions or prescription medications

Senior care comes with many unexpected challenges. However, many resources exist to help families navigate aging in place. For example, respite care, day care, and specialized care enable children to support their aging parents without becoming emotionally overwhelmed.

Building a Personalized Care Plan for Family Members

How Do You Create a Care Plan Based on Your Parents’ Specific Needs?

You can work with your parents and their doctor or other members of their medical team to create a tailored care plan that will address their unique needs. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “Care plans include critical information about the person receiving care, such as their health condition(s), treatment(s), care needs, and provider contacts.” Detailed care plans ensure “caregivers organize and prioritize caregiving needs.”

Care plans may include special dietary needs, personal goals, ongoing monitoring, daily tasks, structured schedules, and routines.

What Daily Activities and Personal Care Should Be Included?

Daily activities and personal care you should monitor and support include: 

• A nutritional, balanced diet
• Physical fitness through low-stress activities 
• Reducing loneliness by encouraging social interactions
• Personal hygiene and self-care 

People have different needs as they age. Parents may need help with everyday tasks or simple reminders to stay on track with their daily routines.

How Do You Adjust the Plan for Medical Conditions or Cognitive Changes?

Family members can adjust a care plan to address the effects of medical conditions or cognitive changes by doing the following: 

• Continuously reassessing your loved one’s condition 
• Communicating frequently with your loved one’s medical team
• Simplify tasks for your loved one to reduce stress and anxiety 
• Balancing daily activity and rest to maintain safety and health 

Family members should always consult their loved one’s medical team and primary doctor before making plans to address cognitive or physical health conditions.

Many health issues involve complex causes, symptoms, and side effects that families may not identify. Speaking with a medical professional and educating themselves on their loved one’s condition reduces the risk of complications.

Coordinating Home Care Services

Which Home Care Services Help Seniors Stay in Their Own Homes?

Home care services you can use to support your loved one and help them stay in their own home include: 

• Personal care
• Companionship care
• Housekeeping services
• Transportation services
• Meal prep and delivery services 
• Skilled nursing care
• Home health aides
• Respite care support

Seniors with Alzheimer’s and other complex issues may require more skilled care. Home care providers receive training to support families and older adults who are aging in place.

When Should You Bring in a Home Care Provider or Home Health Care Team?

You should bring in additional assistance if you do not have the experience or resources to safely look after your loved one. 

An area agency on aging can offer guidance, education, experience, and compassionate support to families helping their loved one age with dignity. Any adult children who feel overwhelmed or uncertain about how best to care for their aging parent may benefit from at-home care services.

Managing Medical Care and Appointments

How Do You Organize Medical Care and Follow-Up Appointments?

The best way to organize medical care and follow-up appointments is by communicating frequently with your loved one’s doctors.

Adult children may need to take on additional responsibilities to ensure their aging parents receive regular medical checkups.

You can organize in-home caregiving by getting referrals from community centers or medical professionals. A physical calendar with appointment reminders can also help caregivers and older adults know what to expect with upcoming medical check-ins.

What’s the Best Way to Handle Medication Management at Home?

Older adults may have memory issues or other factors impacting their ability to take their medication as instructed.

You can take over medication management by using medication reminders, maintaining physical control of the medication, and observing your loved one take their medications to confirm they have been taken as recommended. Medication management reduces the risk of accidental overdoses, medication abuse, missed doses, and medication interactions.

How Do You Work With Healthcare Providers to Support Care?

You can coordinate in-home care for your loved one to help you manage responsibilities over the long term. 

Healthcare providers and at-home health service agencies make it easy for family members to work with them to create tailored care plans. Primary care doctors and other medical professionals support families in caring for their loved ones by providing information, referrals, and resources.

Adult children may need to get a power of attorney (POA) or other legal protection if they will be responsible for all their parents’ medical care.

Supporting Independence and Quality of Life

How Does Daily Task and Household Support Improve Quality of Life?

Providing support throughout the day allows older adults to maintain independence while aging in place. 

Seniors may benefit from receiving support with the following daily tasks: 

• Dressing 
• Bathing
• Brushing hair and teeth 
• Moving around the house
• Preparing, eating, and cleaning up after meals 
• Transportation to and from appointments
• Companionship and emotional support
• Housekeeping 
• Caring for any pets (e.g., walking dogs or cleaning cat litter boxes)
• Providing medication reminders 

Every senior’s needs depend on their overall health and resources.

How Do Family Caregivers Provide Emotional Support and Peace of Mind?

Adult children providing home care for their parents bring dignity, compassion, and strong emotional support to the process of aging in place. 

Family members often know the best ways to offer emotional support that provides older adults with a sense of peace, consideration, and safety as they age.

For example, older adults often worry about what may happen to them as their mental and physical health declines. Family caregivers provide a sense of relief and peace by reassuring older adults that they will not be left behind or isolated from the family in an assisted living facility.

Navigating Insurance and Care Coverage

What Home Care Services Does Medicare or Medicaid Cover?

Insurance providers, including Medicare and Medicaid, may offer full or partial coverage for a range of home care services, including:

• Personal care
• Skill nursing services 
• Housekeeping 
• Respite care

Many seniors benefit from long-term care insurance and government programs that offer additional resources and support.

How Do You Find a Reputable Home Care Agency or Care Provider?

You should always get home care agencies or providers by checking their licensing and accreditation. 

All home care agencies in California must have a license and accreditation to operate. In addition, all home care workers must pass a background check, and if they offer medical support, they must have the necessary training and certifications.

Any legitimate home care agency would be happy to provide proof that it has complied with the law. You may also ask to speak with others who currently or previously worked with the agency.

When Higher Levels of Care May Be Needed

How Do You Know When Your Parent Needs Skilled Nursing or a Nursing Home?

You may want to consider a nursing home or skilled nursing services if you notice the following: 

• Poor hygiene 
• Inability to safely complete daily tasks
• Frequent falls 
• Severe cognitive decline 
• Chronic medication conditions lowering your loved one’s quality of life
• Caregiver stress and burnout

As people age, their needs may change. Families and caregivers should monitor for signs that a higher level of care may be necessary. If your loved one finds it challenging to dress, bathe, prepare meals, remain mobile, cope with chronic conditions, manage medication, or maintain a healthy social life, they may benefit from higher levels of care.

How LifeSpring Home Nutrition Supports Seniors and Family Caregivers With Convenient, Medically Tailored Frozen Meals

How Do You Use Resources Like the Eldercare Locator or Area Agencies on Aging?

You can use the community resource search tool on eldercare.acl.gov to find the following: 

• Nutritional meal delivery services
• Home care and caregiver support
• Transportation 
• Housing options
• Legal help 
• Nursing homes

LifeSpring Home Nutrition provides a helpful service to communities in California.

How Important Is Nutrition for Recovery and Well-Being at Home?

Nutrition and home-delivered meals support mental and physical health, overall wellness, and recovery from surgery or other health issues.

LifeSpring Home Nutrition services prioritize a balanced, nutritionally sound approach to creating a weekly meal plan. Proper nutrition slows age-related changes that may impact a person’s ability to age in place. Diet plays an essential role in extending independence for seniors.

How Can Healthy Meals Improve Energy and Quality of Life?

Healthy meals support seniors’ mental and physical health by ensuring they consume the recommended daily intake of vitamins and minerals. 

Seniors improve their quality of life and overall wellness by eating healthy meals.

According to Nutrients, “Adequate nutrition is an essential component of healthy ageing.” In addition, “As people get older, they face increasing health challenges, risk the onset of disability, and undergo physiological and social transformations that affect essential elements of their lives, including nutrition.”

FAQs

What is the difference between home care and home health care?

Home care provides no medical care, while home health care provides some medical care and support. 

Home care does not provide medical support, whereas home health care provides basic medical support, such as vital signs monitoring, medication management, and wound care, for older adults recovering from surgery. Both types of care meet the client’s daily needs, including self-care, meal preparation, light housekeeping, and emotional support.

Insurance plans generally cover the level of care necessary to improve older adults’ quality of life, enabling them to access more specialized care.

How do I check my eligibility for insurance coverage?

You can check your insurance coverage and service eligibility by contacting the insurance provider directly or the home care agency. 

Some insurance policies cover some or all of the cost of home health services for people aging in place. Most home care agencies accept common insurance providers, including Medicare and Medicaid. You can contact potential care agencies to confirm whether they accept specific insurance plans and which services they cover.

How do I know what level of care my senior parent needs?

The level of care your senior parent needs will depend on their medical status and quality of life. A doctor or other professional can help you determine if you have the skills to help your loved one or if they need higher levels of care. 

Most people can recognize when their loved one can safely live on their own or if they must move into an assisted living facility.

Older adults who remain mobile, engaged with the community and loved ones, and able to care for themselves or accept care from others can generally age in place. However, older adults who experience frequent confusion, behavioral issues, memory problems, and extreme mobility issues may need higher levels of care.

What tasks can a home health aide help with?

A home health aide can assist with many tasks, including the following: 

• Activities of daily living, such as bathing, dressing, and self-care 
• Running errands like grocery shopping
• Providing transportation to medical appointments 
• Cleaning, meal prep, and other household tasks
• Basic health monitoring 
• Emotional support 

Home health aides may also have nursing training and provide basic medical support to older adults with complex or specialized needs.

Generally, home health caregivers can assist with most tasks throughout the day, subject to certain limitations. For example, caregivers may not be able to care for clients’ pets, even if they can perform other helpful household tasks.

How can family caregivers prevent burnout?

Family caregivers prevent burnout by using respite care and other resources to spread the load and take breaks from caregiving. 

Emotional burnout is an unfortunate reality for many family members caring for loved ones. According to the National Institute on Aging (NIA), “Many people find that caregiving provides a sense of fulfillment and that they like feeling useful and needed.” However, “[T]he ongoing demands of taking care of someone else can strain even the most resilient person.”

What are the signs my loved one may need more support than at-home care?

Your loved one may need the support of an assisted living facility or specialized home health services if they experience the following: 

• Severe symptoms of dementia, Alzheimer’s, or other disorders affecting mood, memory, and behavior 
• Difficulty sitting up or walking, even with your assistance 
• Health complications that require around-the-clock care or monitoring 
• Behavioral issues that put themselves or others in danger 

If a parent needs higher levels of care, their primary care doctor can provide referrals for local home care agencies and community-based programs. Skilled caregivers, assisted living facilities, and nursing homes offer physical and mental health support to reduce the effects of age-related conditions.

Seniors often benefit from medically tailored meals to address diet-related health issues. LifeSpring Home Nutrition offers medically tailored meals and other meal options to boost health and overall wellness. To learn more about our services and how to get weekly meal deliveries, call us today at (800) 798-5767.