All good plans have one thing in common: backup plans.
No matter how carefully you plan out your aging loved one’s senior care, you are going to come upon a time when our plans don’t come together and you are going to need to try something else. Being prepared for these situations is critical to making sure your aging loved one gets the care that he needs and deserves at all times.
Home care services can offer your aging loved one truly invaluable support and assistance as often as he needs it. Whether he only needs help getting out of bed in the morning and getting started on the day, or if he needs someone in the home, awake and active, 24 hours a day, having in home care providers present means that his needs will be properly addressed and he will have the highest quality of life possible every day.
Most of the time when you hire home care services you are hiring between one and three home care providers. The number of care providers you hire from the beginning depends on the amount of time your loved one needs care on a daily basis, and the complexity of the care that must be provided. These care providers will rotate their schedules so their care remains consistent on an ongoing basis. It is important, however, that you remember home care companions are people, too. This means life happens and there will be times when one or more of your companions cannot get to work when she is expected. When you encounter such a situation, it is important that you have a backup plan in place to ensure your loved one’s schedule is impacted at an absolute minimum.
There are many different types of senior care backup plans, but the best are those that are planned for well in advance. Talk to the home care services agency that you hire about the plans they have in place for if a companion cannot go to work. It is likely they have a pool of workers that are available on urgent notice to fill in for a shift or two. You may also want to look into respite care options that offer emergency care for family care providers needing a break from their duties for one reason or another. It is possible, though, that you will need to be your own backup plan. Make sure your boss understands your care arrangement so if you need to call out of work suddenly there will be some warning ahead of time. They need their backup plans, too!
