Planning Ahead with Home Care: The Best Way to Protect Loved Ones
Let me tell you a story about Bob and Mary and their daughter Susie. One day we received a phone call from Mary. The conversation went something like this:
“Hi my name is Mary and I care for my daughter. I saw your ad in the Shopping News and thought I should reach out before it is too late. I fear that if anything happens to me, Bob will not be able to care for Susie and I want her to be able to stay at home with us for as long as possible. Can you help?”
“Yes, we can help you. Let’s get you set up with some weekly services so Susie can get familiar with us and you can have some respite care. During these visits, you can run errands or take some time for yourself and we will care for Susie.”
Upon our first visit, we are greeted by Bob who tells us, “Something terrible has happened. Mary has become ill and has been admitted to the hospital. We now need your care every day.”
This kind of sent chills down our spine. Did Mary subconsciously know something was going to happen and Bob and Susie were going to need us? What a wise choice Mary made to act on her intuition to get care set up before it was desperately needed. Because we knew the situation and had the paperwork completed, we were able to easily step in and provide the needed care in Mary’s absence.
Unfortunately, far too often people do not think ahead like Mary. Instead, they wait until there is a health crisis to give us a call.
There are a few risks you run when you wait to get help:
You end up unnecessarily hurting yourself and needing to go to the hospital or nursing home. By having a home care caregiver, you can lessen your chances of falls or missed medications and improve nutrition all of which can improve your chances of living in your home as long as possible.
You can be forced into a hurried decision. You may not have time to weigh your options and find the best home care agency or care facility to meet your needs.
If you have a preferred home care agency and are not already receiving their services, you may not be able to obtain their services immediately forcing you or a loved one into a facility. There is a huge shortage of home care caregivers so depending on the level of care and hours of care needed a home care agency may not be able to fit you into the schedule last minute.
While Mary’s situation couldn’t have easily been foreseen, those who have planned hospital stays or surgical procedures that may leave a patient in need of additional support aren’t coordinating care ahead of time. In these situations, a call to a home care agency could mean the difference between a stressful return home and a more stress-free experience. Those patients who engage with a home care agency prior to surgery and hospitalization for planned needs have a significantly reduced risk of injury and re-hospitalization.
A lot of times people think that they don’t want to burden someone with caring for them. For us, it is not a burden it is a privilege give us a call at 605-275-2344 and get your home care set up before it is too late.