When your loved one can no longer care for themselves, you might look into additional care options. In some cases, this means entering a nursing home or another care facility. In other cases, you might opt for home aide to assist your loved one. Either way, it is important that those caring for your elderly loved one are properly trained and know how to protect and care for your loved one. In this section of our website, you can learn more about different types of care professionals, and make sure that the care facility or home help you choose is staffed with the right professionals to treat your loved one. Taking these precautions can help your family prevent neglect and abuse issues.
Care Professionals
If your loved one is going to a care facility, consider that the facility should be staffed with qualified nurses. Two types of nurses that the home should have are licensed practical nurses (LPNs) and registered nurses. LPNs can track your loved one’s health, administer care, report to doctors and registered nurses, and more. Registered nurses can create care plans for residents, administer medication, and much more.
If your loved one is going to receive care at home, there are additional care professional options that you should consider. First, there are the personal care aides. These aides can offer basic care in a nursing home or a similar type of care facility. They can assist with tasks such as preparing meals, bathing, dressing, and more. However, keep in mind that personal care aides cannot provide medical help for your loved one. This is a task for a home health aide. You could hire a licensed home health aide or an unlicensed home health aide to assist your elderly loved one at home. You can learn about the pros and cons of both on these pages of this section.
If you are interested in hiring a home health aide, you might seek the assistance of a certified home health agency. This kind of organization can put you in touch with qualified home health aides in your area. They can find a good fit for your loved one’s needs based on qualifications, personality, and more.
As you can see, there are many care professional options that you can consider for an elderly loved one. Some options will suit your loved one’s needs better than others. For this reason, it is important to learn about all of the options. This can help your family determine the best fit.
If you still have questions, or want to discuss your loved one’s specific situation, contact our office. We are happy to answer your questions and provide additional resources.