After attaining a certain age or due to some ailment, old age care taking becomes necessary. However, choosing the right type of care and deciding the tenure of care taking can be difficult. There are many factors to be considered when you are choosing between full time or part time old age care taking. To meet the requirements of the elderly ones and not go overboard, especially when it’s the first time you are considering care taking, is not an easy task. We all want to extend the best care for our parents or grandparents.
Let’s go through the reasons why you might need old age care taking and how you can choose between part time and full time options.
Reasons for which you might need caretakers for the elderly
- Helping in daily activities:
Depending on the health condition of an individual, one might need help in daily activities like bathing, feeding, walking and more. Taking daily medicines and minor regular health checkups can come under daily activities too. If any disease or health condition hampers the mobility of someone, a caretaker to help with every regular chore is required.
- Emotional support:
Caretaking is not only confined to lending a hand in regular work. It can provide companionship that an elderly person might need. Family is always there to support and engage their elderly ones but sometimes it’s a difficult thing to manage with their busy life. In such case, a professional care taker who indulges the old age person, even in small light conversations can be just the thing they need to cheer them up
- Monitoring:
Taking care goes beyond just helping. An elderly person can be at a risk of getting injured or an ailing person might need regular monitoring. A professional care taker can make their lives a lot easier and their loved ones can rest easy knowing that their elders are under good care and are being constantly monitored. Sometimes, a care taker can be doubled as a medical professional who has knowledge about minor medical aspects.
Based on your needs, you can choose whether you want a part time or a full time care taker.
But before you decide, keep in mind:
- Safety:
When someone thinks of hiring a caretaker, they always have the safety of their elder ones in the back of their minds. To ensure complete safety and security, one should make sure that the professional they are hiring is trustworthy. You can do so by running a background check on the probable candidate or simply ask them to provide certain documents to ensure their authenticity. Another way is to get in touch with experienced service providers with a list of verified professionals for old age care taking.
- Budget:
We always want the best care for our loved ones and that includes old age care taking too. However, budget is something that you might want to consider prior to making any commitment. For maintaining a budget while getting optimum care, first consider the reason for which you want care taking. Next, decide the tenure for which you need it. Then compare and decide which caretaking service you want.
- Qualification of the caretaker:
Experience can also be considered a qualification when it comes to caretaking for old age. In case the old person has some medical issues, it is imperative that the care taking professional has knowledge about that condition and can work accordingly.
How to choose the duration of old age care taking
Whether you should hire a part time or full time professional for old age care taking is a decision you cannot take lightly. There are multiple factors to be considered and the person who needs to be taken care of should be satisfied with the results.
Full-time old age care taking:
Irrespective of their age, elderly people from different families have different requirements. If an elderly person is suffering from ailments like dementia, hampered mobility and Parkinson’s disease etc, a full time caretaking professional is what they must need. Sometimes it’s not possible for a family member to be present with the elder ones and they need someone to be there for them and include them in activities that can keep them occupied. In such cases, a full time old age care taker can serve as the best option. Also, the old person who gets to be with a full time helping hand can build a cordial connection with the individual taking care of them and feel like someone cares. It can also help in preventing sudden falls and injuries.
Part-time old age care taking:
It’s not always necessary that old people require monitoring 24X7. If someone is able to move around on their own and needs care only for a short span of time, they can always hire a part time old age care taker. Part time care taking can be for any specific period of time:
- Daytime caretaking:
If the family members of an elderly person cannot be present during daytime only because of work commitments, day time care takers can be a great option. They can be satisfied that there is someone who can look after the elderly person and they don’t feel neglected.
- Nighttime caretaking:
It’s a bit rare to need caretaking for just night time but sometimes when old people need care round the clock, a family might prefer it.
- Short visits:
Instead of taking shifts, a caretaker can be hired for a short period of time when they can check on an elderly person. It all depends on the needs of the elderly person and their families, really. The priority is to make sure that the elderly person in need gets the best possible care.
To summarise:
There are many options available when it comes to old age caretaking. Now that you know the factors on which your decision regarding the same can depend, you are free to choose. An old age care taker can provide the necessary help and while making sure that the person feels a sense of dignity while being taken care of. A professional who can bring calmness and patience with their services is always a plus, no matter the time period for which they are hired.
