Are Caregivers Going to Provide the Help Your Mom Needs?

Your mom’s care needs strike you as being a little unusual. Because of this, you’re not certain that caregivers can even help her. Is it worth trying to make arrangements? What can caregivers do and what can’t they do?

Homecare in North Fork NY: Caregivers Providing Help

Cleaning

Your mom’s house is a mess. There’s floor-to-ceiling magazines, newspapers, and trash. Can caregivers help?

Keeping a house clean is a service caregivers offer. They’ll do light housework like taking out the trash, sweeping floors, dusting, and wiping down counters. You will not get housekeepers doing heavy chores though.

If your mom has hoarder tendencies and has serious issues with built-up trash, mildew on ceilings and walls, or rooms that are too cluttered to enter, you would need to address those issues first. Once the house is clean and organized, you could call a home care agency to help keep the house clean from that point.

Medications

Your mom is always forgetting to take her blood pressure medications. You need someone to ensure she does. Caregivers can offer medication reminders. They can also order refills as needed. If those services help, call a home care agency.

Caregivers cannot administer medications, however. If you need someone to put the pills in your mom’s mouth and verify that she’s swallowed them, you need to talk to an agency about home health care services instead.

Socialization and Companionship

Your mom loved to play cribbage with her neighbor every Wednesday afternoon. She’d been doing it for decades, but her neighbor moved away. She’s really missing that weekly match. Could she have caregivers come and play cribbage with her?

Companionship services are offered by a home care agency. While caregivers may not know how to play cribbage, your mom could teach one. When you call an agency, ask if there are caregivers who know how to play or are willing to learn.

Pet Care

Since her hip surgery, your mom cannot walk her dog. It’s going to take weeks before she’s stable again. You don’t want to rehome her dog, but you don’t live close enough to walk it. Can a caregiver?

It depends on the caregiver. Some are happy to include pet care as part of a home care plan. Talk to an agency and ask. Make sure you point out that it will only be temporary until she’s regained full mobility.

Even if you’re not sure that caregivers can help, it doesn’t hurt to ask. You may be surprised to discover how willing they are to work with your family to make sure your mom stays independent.

If you or an aging loved one is considering hiring Homecare in North Fork, NY, call the caring staff at Artful Home Care today at 631-685-5001.