A recent study showed that about 25% of UK residents are elderly. They rely on their working relatives for palliative care. Although you may be determined to take care of your elderly parent, balancing care services and a busy working schedule is not easy. This is the reason most people are looking for professional palliative care services for the elderly.
There are two major elderly palliative care services; care homes and home care services. Both care options have their own advantages and shortcomings depending on your interests. Here, we will help you find the best palliative care for your elderly parent.
Care homes
In this type of care service, elderly parents move into a care facility. A care home is a caring facility where your parents join other elderly people for combined care services. These facilities have professional carers tasked to keep the elderly busy, help with medication and provide security. Although you may be considering this type of care, it has its share of disadvantages. Your parents may feel lonely, it involves forcing the elderly to leave their home, you cannot monitor their care services and you cannot be guaranteed of personal care for your loved one.
Home care services
This is the best type of care. You hire a professional carer to take care of your loved one at home. If you have an ill relative at home, just hire a carer to regularly monitor him/her or hire a full-time carer. Patients heal faster within their familiar environment. There are several carers providing palliative care at home. However, it’s always best to hire a caregiver through an agency.
The advantage of home care services is that you are in control. You can suggest how your loved one should best be taken care of. If you are living with your elderly parents, you can create their own diet plan or workout plan unlike in a care home where there are no personal diets or fitness plans. The elderly also want to see their relatives around them.
There are two types of in-home palliative services; part-time and full-time care services. For part-time, a caregiver provides care services at specific times of the day. He/she may be hired to provide medication or physical exercise to your patient. Full-time services, on the other hand, involve hiring a carer for 24-hour care services. Basically, the caregiver moves into your home to provide optimum attention to your loved one.
Palliative care is crucial for parents in their late years. It’s always best if they rest; let them rest in the comfort of their own home. This can only be achieved by taking care of them at home. A home carer should help in taking care of your ageing parents.
