Living in Alaska can be as tough as we age. The cold can make weak bones hurt and ache, and even light housekeeping can seem like an uphill battle.
Simple tasks become harder, with some people also starting to experience memory loss that may further hamper their ability to go about their day-to-day without help.
Whether you’re older yourself or seeking a solution for an aging parent, in-home care can help with all this and more. Join us as we highlight some of the features of in-home care that can make getting older much easier!
1. The Benefits of Younger Eyes and Ears
An in-house caregiver can give you something often difficult to find as a senior: peace of mind. A trained caregiver can help you catch mistakes you may have made, clarify things you’re having difficulty seeing or hearing, and overall stay alert to issues you may not be equipped to face alone.
One of the most obvious of these issues is if there is a medical emergency. If you fall and you’re alone, the only one who can get you help is yourself. This is not a good situation to be in!
Having a caregiver around means that someone young, alert, and ready to make any call for help is nearby. This improves the odds that you can receive help early. In some cases, this can be the difference between life and death.
The only point we’ll make is that you should remember to hire an in-home caregiver suited to your needs. If you’re not sure where to start, the AARP has put together a helpful guide on making sure the aide you hire is right for you.
2. Use the Bathroom Safely and With Dignity
One fact many seniors don’t like to discuss is that using the bathroom without help can become difficult or impossible. Many seniors grow incontinent with age and, while it is nothing to be ashamed about, many feel embarrassed about the topic.
Regardless of how you feel, having trouble using the bathroom is a huge inconvenience. It’s a common one too, with as many as 1 in 10 seniors suffering from urinary incontinence.
If you struggle to get there on time, you may be dealing with frequent washing of clothes and even carpet. For the cognitively impaired, it may be hard to even go that far, and you may develop rashes on your body and odors in the home.
Other seniors may have trouble safely placing themselves on the toilet. While we don’t always think about it, bathrooms can be dangerous for those who struggle with balance.
They are full of harsh corners, from the toilet to sink corners, and we tend to keep them locked out of habit while inside.
An aide can help you safely use the restroom and clean yourself as necessary. This may take getting used to but they will make sure it is all done with dignity and without judgment.
It is their job to help you use the bathroom as needed without you needing to worry and to help clean if you end up not being able to make it.
In-house caregivers can also help you wash yourself, another obstacle many with reduced mobility face. This way you can make sure you’re clean and hygienic, without having to risk twisting your arms and body to get to spots that have grown difficult or impossible to reach.
3. Light Housekeeping Made Easy
An in-home aide can help make keeping a tidy home far easier. If you’re mobility and/or cognitively impaired, keeping a clean home is a challenge.
An aide can help with laundry, taking out the trash, and removing dangerous or precarious obstacles like misplaced cords or glasses near the edge of tables.
While an in-home aide can’t do everything, such as shoveling snow or other hard labor, their duties still cover a lot of what you will need to care for your home and self.
Combined with the help of family, friends, or temporary hired help as needed, they make covering all bases simple.
Is in-Home Care the Right Option for You?
We’ve discussed in the past in more detail how to determine whether in-home care is the best option for a given person, but we’ll review some of the main points here too.
The most common form of in-home care, hiring a home health aide (HHA), won’t guarantee you get the care you need. While these individuals can be a great help, they also aren’t nurses.
An HHA cannot administer medication or help with many common medical procedures, even if they seem very simple. These rules may seem inconvenient, but they’re there for your safety. As a general rule, only qualified individuals are allowed to administer medical care in non-emergencies.
Another option to consider is a senior living facility, like we offer at Baxter Senior Living. These facilities are great for those who need some more attention but don’t want to live in a nursing home.
A senior living facility helps balance a desire for autonomy with senior needs, allowing seniors to have the independence they deserve but also to be safe and well cared for.
Seniors Living in Alaska Deserve to Live Safe
The core question of whether you should hire an in-home care provider for yourself or a loved one depends on the given individual. Some seniors don’t need assistance and that’s more than fine. Others may need more specialized, attentive care that something like an HHA cannot provide.
The important point to remember is to be honest. There is no shame in being able to do less than you were once able to. The sooner you can admit your limitations, the sooner you can seek help for them and live a fuller life.
We hope any seniors living in Alaska consider checking out Baxter Senior Living to see if we can offer you an Assisted Living in Anchorage options. Feel free to contact us with any questions about our staff and our facilities so that you can ensure the services you’ll be provided with are the services you’re looking for!
Our facilities are well-regarded and full of happy seniors. We’d love to add you to our list of clientele.
