Earlier in the traditional joint family setup, the children of the family were seen as the primary elderly caregivers. Now we are witnessing disintegration of this setup in many homes. With kids moving abroad or another city, Indian society is witnessing a major surge in the number of nuclear families.
Although this new family setup is liberating for the youth, it is the older adults that are sadly seeming to fall behind, feeling lonely and neglected, getting trapped in the ‘empty nest syndrome’. This new setup of life along with other socio-economic factors like retirement, financial dependency and lack of something to look forward to, give rise to varied sort of mental health disorders among the older adults.
Some of the most common mental illnesses that the elderly tend to fall prey to are depression, mood disorders, psychosis, dementia and anxiety disorders among others. A majority of these mental illnesses can easily be treated if timely diagnosis and treatment are sought.
However, sadly enough a large majority of the various signs of mental illness are simply overlooked and thought to be part of the normal old age problems. Even when the diagnosis is made, the care of such mentally ill patients can be a tall task considering today’s hectic schedules and children living in other cities in many cases. Plus it is also quite challenging for an older adult to move base and shift to their child’s home in another city and adjust to a new environment.
Luckily, filling in for the home care for the elderly are the various care homes and assisted living facilities, wherein your loved one can be provided homely care along with any medical supervision that they may require. However, when it comes to looking for care options for your loved one, it appears that the more you look, the more confusing it gets.
So, before you make your decision on the best senior care for your loved one, here’s a brief description of what they are and what kind of services you can expect from elderly care services.
Assisted living is basically for those seniors who are still independent and do not require constant medical care or intensive care but would rather suffice with lower intermediate care like assistance in grooming, dressing, assistance in personal hygiene, medication management and mobility.
In India, Assisted living is often termed as old age homes. Besides the usual assistance for the elderly, housekeeping, cooking, blend housing, hospitality and health care are some of the other standard facilities at old age homes. Now homecare for elderly at home is getting popular in India as it has proven to be very helpful with taking care of seniors in the home in the familiar, pleasant environment.
Care services provided at home are called in-home care. Care services in-home care are provided by home attendants for elderly, ward boys and nurses and are usually non – medical. This type of care is aimed to help the senior person maintain their independence and promote optimum functioning by providing basic services and supervision.
The advantage of in-home care services is that they are more private, personal and comfortable as the care services are provided in the comfort of one’s home. The type of in-home care service varies from person to person and also according to the frequency of care required. You can hire senior home care services according to your need, usually homecare for elderly at home is personalized according to your needs.
Home health care services are similar to in-home care services in the fact that both types of care services are provided by skilled nursing services. However, home health care services also include psychiatric services, pain management, oncology, care for diabetes, chronic kidney diseases, COPD and heart diseases among others.
Home health care services are similar to in-home care services in the fact that both types of care services are provided by skilled nursing services. However, home health care services also include psychiatric services, pain management, oncology, care for diabetes, chronic kidney diseases, COPD and heart diseases among others.
Memory care is a specially designed senior care service for the elderlies suffering from memory loss as a result of dementia or Alzheimer. Memory care services are structurally designed as secure areas to prevent any wandering off which is a common symptom of these diseases.
Some of the services included in memory care include 24 hours supervised care, all meals included, activities and health management. Memory care services in India are offered today as part of home health care services and even at assisted living facilities that have a special wing developed for such patients.
While its good to know about all the various types of elderly care services, do not select the elderly care for your loved one basis your assumptions. You need to understand the level of independence that your loved one can pursue, how much support they require and the kind of medical assistance required. Also try walking through some of the scenarios that elderly may encounter. Only after analysing all the factors thoroughly, pick the type of service most suited for the elderly person.
At Portea we help you choose the senior home care services according to your need. Our experts access the situation and provide you best senior care packages at affordable prices. So you do not have to choose between confusing service options.
Doctor Consultation
Nursing
Physiotherapy
Trained Attendant
Elder Care
Mother & Baby Care
Lab Tests
Medical Equipment
Speciality Pharma
Critical Care