For many families, the question of coordinating home care is a challenging and emotionally fraught issue. Being a full or part-time caregiver is extremely stressful and time-consuming.

Whether the caregiver lives close by or at a distance from the loved one, their challenges can be distilled into three deceptively simple questions:

1. What level of care does my loved one require?
2. Can they stay in the home?
3. Do we need to consider daycare options?

The answers to these questions require a mix of research, time and dispassionate assessment. The first step is always determining the type of care your loved one requires. Factors to consider in this assessment range from the loved one’s physical and mental state through to their financial situation and the level of independence they desire.

Assessing Your Options

As loved one’s age they may require assistance to maintain their independence. While aged care or long-term nursing facilities are an option many loved ones are looking to continue living in their own homes amongst their familiar community of family and friends.

A blend of home care, coordinated care assistance and community-based health services are options for helping your loved one remain in their home while enjoying the care they need using mobility devises like walkers, forearm crutches, rollators and canes.

Home Care

Home care where practical, is a great option for caregivers and their loved ones. It provides a welcome safety net while allowing the loved one to enjoy the comforts of their own home, contributing to the quality of their life. Home care professionals enjoy extensive training in managing health issues such as dementia and chronic conditions.

A range of skilled and unskilled care home care options is available ranging from assistance in rehabilitation or post-operative recovery through to cleaning.

Home Care Coordination

This service is particularly helpful for families faced with a significant commute to visit their loved ones, limiting the frequency of visits. This is a medium to a long-term solution involving sourcing an appropriate home care resource aligned with the loved ones’ needs. Some of the typical coordinated home care services include:

• Personalized healthcare recommendation
• Ongoing personal care and in-home support
• Healthcare provider scheduling
• Dementia care and support
• Respite care for family caregivers.

These adult day care programs combine medical and dental care, home meal delivery, opportunities to socialise and rehabilitation treatment. Ongoing evaluations ensure the love done received the level of care they need.

Defining Quality Care

Being able to clearly articulate the level of care our loved ones require can prove difficult and elusive. Home care has made major steps in understanding, defining and measuring quality by targeting:

• Desired outcomes
• Patient satisfaction
• Car e-service effectiveness

Choosing the Best Care Model For You

For many families, coordinating home care is a challenging and emotionally confronting issue. From home help to professional nursing services through to respite for caregivers, more people are staying in their own homes and communities than ever before. With changes in in-home care options, more and more loved ones are accessing the level of care needed to keep them happy and comfortable in their own homes while ensuring they received an appropriate level of care.