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Caring for the Elderly at Home by Irene Repczuk-D’Alessio Contrary to popular belief, more elderly live independently rather than in nursing homes. M ost eld erly want to remain in their own homes and remain in control o f their lives for as long as possible. But de spite the growth o f the home care industry in the U .S., many elderly do not have access to home health serv ices. Know ing exactly what you need and where to find it can help you arrange home care that is accept able, appropriate, and affordable. Finding a source for home health care can be a daunting and confusing task, especially if you are faced with a parent’s sudden illness Home health care services are provided by public or private hospitals, nonprofit or for-profit agencies, and public health de partments. A good source o f information on home care services is your local Area on A gin g which can be very helpful in providing a number o f different options for home care services in your elder’s community. They are listed in the government section o f your phone book. I f your elder is recuperating in a hospital, you will need to plan for home care before he or she is discharged from the hospital. Seek assistance from the hospital social worker or discharge planner about your home health care options early on; hospitals tend to discharge patients quickly, allowing little or no time to develop an appropriate discharge plan. Often, the best source for finding good, reli able care is through recommendations from fam ily member or friends, who have had first-hand experi ence with an agency or worker and who can vouch for their competence, compassion and honesty. Churches or community agencies are also reliable sources. There are many benefits to keep elderly peo ple in their own homes. It allows the elderly to remain in familiar and comfortable surroundings. It can also be financially beneficial when compared with the cost o f nursing home care or other types o f living arrange ments. M ost importantly, remaining in the home helps people feel independent and live in dignity. Different levels o f care can be provided in the home. W hen intensive care is needed, a physician or nurse comes to the home to give intravenous feedings, administer blood tests, or take x-rays. W hen skilled nursing care is required, M edicare will most likely cover the cost o f rehabilitative and services, such as physical, occupational, or speech therapy, diabetic monitoring, or wound care. For persons requiring lower levels o f care, a home health aide will come to the house to assist with activities o f daily living. In-home rehabilitative services are available for some patients recovering from major illnesses. Physical therapists can help to improve limb mobility and function through exercise, massage, prostheses, or aids such as walkers and can show caregivers how to help with the exercises. Occupational therapists can improve elders' ability to perform tasks such as bath ing, eating, and other everyday activities. Speech therapists and speech pathologists treat those who are unable to speak clearly due to injury, illness, or other chronic conditions. Respiratory therapists administer care and monitor patients related to breathing diffi culty. They insure that respiratory equipment is func tioning properly and also teach patients how to per form self-care. Before you shop for services - or decide to provide the care yourself - it is important to determine exactly what kind o f care your elder needs. To under stand care needs, you must develop an accurate under standing o f what elderly people are able to do them selves. This means evaluating how they handle activi ties o f daily living: eating, bathing walking, shopping, taking medications, housekeeping, managing money. In assessing their abilities to perform these tasks, you are, in fact, assessing the extent o f disability. For ex ample, assess the following: - Bathing: balance to get into tub, strength to get out o f tub, strength to turn on/off faucet - Eating: ability to hold utensils, carve food, swallow - Shopping: ability to w alk or be mobile with walker or other device; manage money, make decisions - Cooking: memory, awareness o f temperature, smell to sense burning or spoilage - Housekeeping: physical strength, and stamina, agil ity, vision - U se o f Telephone: memory, hearing, and ability to speak. This level o f detail m ay seem tedious, but will help you accom plish two goals. First, you will avoid overbuying. Breaking down services into components will help you to identify what you don’t need as well as what you do need. Second, this exercise will help you understand the frustration your elders are experi encing from loss o f capabilities that define who they are. M ost importantly, this process will help you to be aware o f their strengths and abilities and will help you to encourage them to maintain those abilities. In ''Communicating with your Elders" (Novem ber 2002, Our Life ) we discussed the importance o f maintaining the dignity o f the elderly by focusing on what they can do, rather than what they cannot do. This will ulti mately help you in managing the home care process, once the services are in place. It should be noted that you do not have to de 16 НАШЕ ЖИТТЯ”, СІЧЕНЬ 2003 Видання C оюзу Українок A мерики - перевидано в електронному форматі в 2012 році . A рхів C У A - Ню Йорк , Н . Й . C Ш A.
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