There are many home care agencies in Maryland, but choosing the right one that caters to the needs and preferences of older adults is quite a task. Among those home care agencies, you need to choose the best one. But how do you do that? More or less, the availability of choices befuddles us, and you may feel the need for some expert guidance.
If you have been thinking about looking for a home care service for your loved one, you have landed on the right page. In this blog, we are going to help you find the right home care agency simply by following a few steps. All you need to do is sit down with a pen and paper and make a checklist.
And based on your checklist, you can simply mark off the needs that are fulfilled.
So, let’s begin our journey to select the best home care services in Maryland. We will start by understanding what home care services are. Then, we will look at the types of home care services, the features that each service offers, and finally, the list of questions that will help you choose the right home care agency.
What are Home Care Services?
Everytime when you think of spending your golden years, how do you wish to spend it? If you have an older family member, you may have seen that they have their own unique challenges. In the advancing years, small tasks seem challenging, like household chores, laundry, meal preparation, and so on. All these tasks do take a great deal of time.
As a result, they spend most of their time accomplishing household chores. It leaves them no time for socialization, and they end up feeling left out in their own families.
That’s when home care services help them out. If you feel like your loved one is not able to spend enough time with you, maybe it’s time for them to get home care services.
Home care services are designed for older people who stay alone, have difficulties accomplishing their household chores, and have no time for socialization. The household chores take up enough of their time. This leads to burnout and a sense of isolation.
But with home care, they get a caregiver who helps them with all the household chores and encourages them to socialize and explore new horizons. The caregivers offer them companionship so that they don’t feel left out at times. Also, if the family caregiver needs respite, no one offers better help than an in-home caregiver.
That’s why home care services are best for people who wish to age in place and socialize well.
Types of Home Care Services
Home care services offer a wide range of services without considering evolving needs and preferences. That’s why many home care agencies have brought on flexible care that caters to the new and modern lifestyle.
In this section, we are going to look at the list of home care services. By knowing the types of home care services, you can figure out which one your loved one wants.
The types of home care services are:
Alzheimer Care
When a loved one is diagnosed with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, things often get challenging. Especially when the signs of dementia begin to set in, the loved one needs extra care. So, with Alzheimer’s care, your loved one gets all the love and support to reduce dementia progression.
How does an Alzheimer care provider help?
- Encouraging participation in various community programs
- Helping loved ones to have proper meals on time
- Playing some brain-stimulating activities
Companion Care
Does your loved one feel isolated at times? Loneliness and depression bring forth major cognitive decline. Therefore, companion care providers help loved ones do household chores so that they can participate in various community programs. By participating in various programs, they make new friends and meet new people.
How does companion care help them?
- Eliminate socialization
- Offers help in accomplishing household chores
- Promote better communication among loved ones
After Hospital Care
You cannot expect to return to your normal lifestyle when you get back from the hospital. You need a complete rest to recover faster. That’s why after hospital care is for those who need help with the activities of daily living. This helps them get enough rest so that they can recover faster.
This is how after hospital care promotes faster recovery
- Medication management
- Assistance in the activities of daily living
- Follow-up care after hospital discharge
Hospice and Respite Care
Terminal illness can turn life upside down, and you spend time with your loved ones, taking care of them 24/7. This leads to caregiver burnout, and therefore, you are not able to focus on caring for them. But with hospice and respite care, you can spend quality time with your loved one until the end.
Hospice and Respite care services help you with
- Medication management
- Providing respite to family caregivers
- Helping families understand the illness and provide better care
Homemaking
You may have heard that cleaning a space is like cleaning your soul. A decluttered house is free from all accidents and, therefore, helps the loved ones be safe and secure in their own space. That’s why caregivers offering homemaking services keep the houses decluttered so that the loved one can be independent.
Caregivers offering homemaking services,
- Ensures that the houses have grab bars and handrails installed
- Keeps the houses clean and well-lit
- Ensures that the house is senior-friendly
Personal Care
Sometimes, it gets quite challenging for loved ones to take care of themselves because of physiological changes. That’s why personal care services offer to provide the best care and help loved ones take care of themselves. Keeping up personal hygiene eliminates the risk of skin infections.
So, caregivers help with:
- Bathing, dressing, and helping with a proper skincare routine
- Assistance with the activities of daily living
- Helping loved ones care for their physical and mental well-being
Flex Care
Due to an evolving lifestyle, our loved one has unique needs and preferences that need to be met from time to time. That’s why home care agencies introduce flex care, or flexible care services, to help loved ones find the best care and support. The loved one can choose the kind of care services they need.
Here is how caregivers offering flex care services help with
- Medication management
- Assistance with the activities of daily living
- Combination of various home care services
How do you find the best home care services?
If you have been looking for home care services and don’t know where to start, we offer you some guidelines to help you out.
Here is what you can do:
- Assess the needs and preferences
- Make a list of home care agencies and find their services
- Choose which services you or your loved ones need
- Research well and check online reviews
- Speak to caregivers and seek recommendations
- Get help from a senior care advisor, if needed
- Verify the credentials and ensure that the agency is licensed and insured
- Ask about the cost and payment
- Ask about the supervision, caregivers’ training, and assessment of caregiver
- Check whether the agency offers a care plan
- Seek legal advice for complex issues
Are You Looking For A Home Care Agency in Maryland
Though there are plenty of home care agencies in Maryland, choosing the right one is essential. Always select a licensed one that offers certified caregivers who understand the needs and preferences of loved ones. Comfikare Homecare offers the best home care services that cater to the evolving needs and preferences of loved ones.
The caregivers get continuous training and are also trained in the presence of the loved one so that they can understand how the caregiver brings peace of mind. The loved ones communicate about their needs, which the caregivers understand and offer help with. That’s why at Comfikare Homecare, you get a caregiver as per your preference.
For more information, contact us.