Personal Assistance - Types of Care Involved in it and Understanding it Better

1. Personal Assistance - Types of Care Involved in it and Understanding it Better "Home is where the heart is" goes the saying and this is more so for elders. Statistics reveal that 90% of the elders prefer to age in the comfort of their own home. In doing so, seniors have started to opt for assisted living and personal assistance services. In England, nearly 65,000 disabled adults were employing 1,45,000 personal assistants in the year 2015. India too is experiencing a sudden boom in the need for senior caregiving services. What are personal assistance services? Elders want to enjoy the privacy and independence of their own home where they can be their own masters. Yet age does not permit them to do all the routine activities on their own. This is where they need elderly home care assistance. Personal assistance services for the elderly include the following type of care or help in

2. Personal Care Home care Healthcare Companionship playing games, taking walks Transportation Personal Care - help in bathing, dressing, feeding, toileting Home care - cleaning, cooking, laundry, grocery shopping Healthcare - giving medications on time, helping to walk or exercise. Companionship - meaningful conversations, reading out newspapers and books,     Transportation - driving the elder around, shifting them from bed to chair etc.  Personal Assistance Services vs. Skilled Medical Caregivers or Elderly Companions Personal assistance for the elderly is a type of elderly home care assistance which requires non-medical help. It does not involve any medical assistance like treating or dressing wounds, administering injections or infusions or monitoring health parameters. Such clinical assistance is offered by Skilled Medical caregivers who are qualified nurses or attendants. In this sense, personal assistance services are not inclusive of such medical care but only offer domestic and grooming support. Elderly companions, on the other hand, are like " paid friends" - they cook for you, run errands, walk or drive you around and give you company. But they do not perform any personal care like grooming or dressing. In this aspect, personal assistance services are different from elderly companions in that they also provide grooming or feeding services. To sum up, holisticin-home healthcare for elders is offered by elderly personal assistants. When to use elderly home care assistance? Elderly home care assistance is a must for elders when 1. Two elders are living together and neither can physically support the other. 2. An elder is living amidst 2 working individuals and needs both company and support 3. A single elder living all alone needs company and care.

3. 4. In a family, an infirm elder needs special care and attention. 5. Elders do not like to be dependent on their children for their personal care. 6. Some elders do not wish to have their privacy compromised even in the presence of their family members. 7. Seniors are reluctant to shift from their home to another location. 8. Elders who wish to live with dignity and independence throughout their life in the comfort of their own home. Pointers for choosing elderly home care assistance Chooseelderly home care assistance keeping in mind the following facts. Senior caregiving services must be provided by a reliable and reputed agency. Choosing a personal caregiver of same cultural background is a must. The personal care assistant's background must be verified with records. The caregiver must be of sound mind and body.    

4. The caregiver must be prepared to execute all the responsibilities entrusted with wholehearted consent. Cleanliness must be ensured at all costs by the caregiver while taking care of the elderly.   Personal Assistance Services offer the right solution to care for elders who wish to stay in the comfort of their own home yet receive home care and individual help.