In-Home Senior Care in Lakeland, FL, and All of Polk County
When you are responsible for administering senior care at home, it can look like many things. Every situation is unique. Sometimes, this involves dropping by a few times a week to help with the chores, and sometimes it is a full-time endeavor, as when afflictions like Alzheimer's disease or dementia are at play. The unifying similarity regarding in-home senior care is that, whatever the scenario looks like, we all want them to be safe and happy.
What Happens When Senior Care at Home Is Administered by Family?
The majority of the time, family members are the ones who provide senior care at home. According to a 2020 AARP report, there were an estimated 53 million adults providing care to a loved one with health or functional needs. That number has risen and is expected to continue to rise as the baby boomer generation ages now into their later years.
While this is among the noblest things that families can do for their older loved ones, it is a job that many quickly realize is bigger than they had imagined. When family members take on caregiving responsibilities, they are usually adding to an already full plate. Often they work full- or part-time jobs and have other responsibilities as well.
The chronic stress that is applied during caregiving can lead to feelings of being overwhelmed and even depression. Consequently, the burnout factor is very real, and in many cases, the caregiver's own health becomes an issue. At Comfort Keepers, we strive to take the load off of these familial caregivers without sacrificing any of the compassion that they bring to the table. We will also provide respite care for family caregivers who want to continue to provide care but may need a break from their regular caregiving duties.
How Do Comfort Keepers Administer Senior Care at Home in Polk County?
At Comfort Keepers, our mission is to help seniors maintain the highest levels of independence and quality of life possible. We don't think the job can be done without an abundance of compassion and love due to the personal nature of the services that are being provided. Trust is an important component for both the caregiver and the client, as it can be worrisome to invite a stranger into your home or the home of a loved one. A caregiver’s job involves caring for their clients, and because of this, they don't remain strangers for very long. Indeed, our caregivers often report how quickly a bond is developed between themselves and their clients.
Providing in-home senior care in Polk County demands empathy and compassion, and that is why we screen our caregivers for these important traits. We need to know that they are not only capable of the physical elements of the job but that they are prepared for the mental, emotional, and social elements as well.
What Is Involved with In-Home Senior Care?
There are several dimensions to providing senior care at home. One of the first steps that we take is to match our clients with a care coordinator who will work with the client and their family, and often with other healthcare professionals, to generate a highly individualized care plan designed to service the unique needs of each client.
Next, our compassionate, dynamic caregivers work with those clients to carry out the details of the care plan. Caregivers can work with clients on a weekly or daily basis and sometimes spend days and nights in the client's home. Sometimes advanced care is needed for those with cognitive issues like dementia and Alzheimer's. Our caregivers are specially trained to provide care for these clients. We're also proud to offer post-hospital care to assist with recuperation for those who are returning home from a stay in the hospital. It's important to note that the care plan is fluid and can change according to the client's needs or desires. Comfort Keepers breaks our caregiving responsibilities into several categories. Below are a few of the major areas of our expansive service plans.
Companion Care
Our interactive caregiving model blends various strategies and technologies with a focus on social interaction and engagement. With companion care, there is an emphasis on helping our clients feel alert and mentally engaged. This is often accomplished through playing games or cards, putting together puzzles, or any other playful means by which to activate and sharpen the mind. Reminiscing is another powerful technique for stimulating the mind.
We also focus on helping our clients maintain their strength and balance. Physical exercise has been proven to help seniors maintain muscle mass, balance, and coordination. It is also the best way to keep seniors from falling, which is one of the leading causes of injuries in seniors.
Helping our clients with meal planning and preparation serves a few purposes. First, it is an excellent way to help them maintain their health, especially if they have something like diabetes or high blood pressure that involves special dietary needs or restrictions. Second, it's a great way to bond. A huge part of what our caregivers offer is their friendship. Cooking and talking with each other facilitates trust and lets our clients know that their thoughts and feelings are being validated.
Personal Care
Personal care involves things like toileting, bathing, and grooming. Because looking your best leads to feeling good about yourself, making sure that you look and feel the way you want to is essential to having good days, inside or outside of the home. For seniors, though, these routine tasks can be highly stressful. Our caregivers will style and brush hair, brush teeth or dentures, apply makeup, or even shave clients with an electric razor to help them feel accomplished and proud as they face the day ahead.
Safety Care
Another aspect of senior care at home in Lakeland is relying on technology when there is nobody at home with them. We recommend specific home monitoring systems, medication safety and management devices, and personal emergency response systems, which are a few examples of such technologies. If needed, our caregivers can work with your loved one on the use of technology to stay in touch with friends and family.
We Live to Provide Senior Care at Home in Lakeland, FL & Surrounding Areas
At Comfort Keepers, our business is offering senior care at home in Polk County because we believe that it is noble and important work. We want our family members to live their best lives possible, and we want the same for our clients. To us, this is a universal feeling. If you are worried about the welfare of an older loved one, you should consider in-home senior care for the peace of mind that it will give you and the increase in quality of life that it will provide for your loved one.
Contact us today at (863) 385-9100 to learn more about how Comfort Keepers can keep your loved one safe and happy and maintain their dream of living in their own home. We’re happy to answer any questions that you may have about the in-home care we offer in Lakeland, FL.
