Choices that have to do with long-term care can be very complex: the elderly person’s needs must first be assessed, then a plan of care must be created, and finally, services that meet the needs and budgets of the family must be arranged and monitored. The Raleigh, North Carolina area is full of older adults living independently who don’t have family close by to assist in decisions related to care, aging baby boomers who have elderly parents, and spouses caring for a sick or disabled loved one. When seeking home care assistance, Raleigh NC families should look for an agency of qualified geriatric professionals that will provide all of these services.

What is the first step the family must take in finding the best home care Wake Forest NC has to offer their loved one? The Yellow Pages and the Internet list sources for elder care, Raleigh NC to Durham and beyond, but these sources are highly impersonal and can be overwhelming to sift through. If the family chooses a Google search over personal recommendations, they should at least take their potential choices to the grandmother’s doctor(s) to get opinions on those. Talking to healthcare professionals that handle the medical care of the grandmother is a good place to start. These people can typically provide solid recommendations because of their knowledge of the local geriatric health industry. They also understand the needs of the patient since they have been under their care. Furthermore, they can make projections of how the patient’s disease will progress, giving them the ability to provide an outline for their future needs. Once the list is narrowed down to two or three, it’s time to interview the candidates.

Whether hiring an independent caregiver or choosing an agency that contracts such professionals, there are a number of criteria the family should keep in mind. The caregiver should be able to produce documentation of their qualifications and experience; should have at least three good references; they should be bonded and insured; they should have no criminal history; they should have experience in the area of care that meets the specific needs of the patient; they and finally, the caregiver should be caring and compassionate – in other words, the family and the patient should feel completely comfortable with the individual. A solid element of trust should be present, as this person will be coming into their home and taking their loved one under their wing in a way that ensures their quality of life will be extended for as long as possible.

Let’s imagine, for instance, that a family living in Wake Forest has been caring for their elderly grandmother in their home for several years since her husband passed. The grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s 9 months previous to that and her gradual cognitive deterioration is beginning to become evident. Because of this, the family wants to keep the grandmother in the home where she is comfortable and things are familiar. They realize that their only option is to bring someone into the home to give her the assistance she needs throughout the work week. In the midst of an economic crisis, the breadwinner in the house has taken a major blow to their previously sustainable income. Now, money is extremely tight and the breadwinner’s spouse, who, prior to that, was staying at home to care for the grandmother, has to return to the workforce.

Author Bio: Written by Jenny Heart. Quality home care assistance Raleigh NC: Receive home care Wake Forest NC, alzheimer’s and senior care through elder care Raleigh NC, Clayton, Chapel Hill, Cary, Durham.

Category: Family Concerns
Keywords: home care assistance Raleigh NC, home care Wake Forest NC, elder care Raleigh NC