Home health care or care at home refers to the medical and non-medical services provided within the comfort of a person's home. Non-medical home care includes meal preparation, assisting with daily activities such as bathing, eating, dressing, and providing companionship. Skilled home care can include treatment procedures like wound care, pain management, medication management, physical therapy, and occupational therapy.
Why are elders reluctant to accept home healthcare?
At the outset convincing senior citizens to accept home health care is a tricky and delicate task for family members. Seniors are skeptical about the old-age care and home healthcare concept for many reasons:
● Fear of losing independence: Many seniors feel that opting for home care will impact and compromise their privacy and independence. They are also worried that the tasks they have managed independently for decades will now require them to depend on an outsider.
● Societal factors: This also affect their thought process. This includes cultural values, preference to be cared for by family, and social stigma. They are worried about how their choice will be perceived by extended family and there is fear of isolation or missing out on family gatherings.
● Lack of awareness: Limited awareness about care at home services and the hesitance to trust an outsider are also factors that cause reluctance. The elderly feel they could lose control over their lives and are also worried that they may be sidelined as family members might make decisions without their consent.
● Monetary factor: Some seniors worry about managing the cost paid to the caregiver while some others may be hesitant to accept assistance from a stranger.
● Unpleasant experiences: Seniors who have had unpleasant experiences with home healthcare in the past, either personally or through stories shared by family members, may be reluctant to try it again.
How can family members convince seniors to consider care-at-home services?
Open communication is key to helping seniors overcome these concerns and fears. Family members must be patient and understanding, giving the elderly a chance to express their thoughts and apprehensions. It is important to empathize, listen to their concerns, and acknowledge their perspective.
It is a significant change for seniors and the family must educate senior citizens about home care services, articulate the benefits of old age care in India, and how it reinforces quality of life without compromising their freedom. The family can also arrange a meeting with the healthcare professional who can explain the need for home care and the importance of assistance.
Reassurance can go a long way. The family must tell them how home care is designed to complement their activities and explain how the caregiver will support them. This will help senior citizens understand that it will not impact their privacy or independence and that they will still have full control over their daily routines.
Families must always respect their choices, let seniors know and feel that they are in control, and involve them in decision-making processes.
What are the advantages of opting for home healthcare?
● Boosts emotional well-being: Managing health conditions in the comfort of one’s own home, surrounded by family members can be less stressful for seniors when compared to the hospital environment. It also heightens the sense of security and boosts their emotional well-being.
● Comfort: The no-place-like-home feeling makes way for a more favorable atmosphere for recovery and healing. Seniors have more control of the environment, can carry out their daily routines with ease, and enjoy a higher level of independence at home.
● Flexibility: Care at-home services also make room for more flexibility, are more accommodating of the needs of seniors and their families and are more personalized to suit the unique needs of individuals.
● Continuous monitoring: A comprehensive care offering, home care services ensure continuous monitoring of loved ones, and bring specialized services like physiotherapy and occupational therapy to the doorstep.
● Limits the exposure to infections: Care at home also helps curtail the risk of exposure to infections in the hospital or nursing home.
● Independence: Seniors with home healthcare facilities can maintain a higher level of liberty by carrying out their daily chores without much disturbance.
● Cost-effective: Home health care also brings down costs like hospital stays and transportation, making it more cost-effective than admission to a hospital or nursing home.
Home healthcare companies in India like Antara Care at Home deliver customized, comprehensive medical care and assistance for seniors in the comfort of their homes. Antara’s trained caregivers help with the daily routines of the elders and offer a wide range of services such as nursing care, physiotherapy, home critical care, and health check on wheels. The team of highly trained professionals follows all clinical protocols to ensure your loved ones are monitored at all times and receive tailored, best-in-class care at home.
To know more about our comprehensive senior care at-home solutions in Delhi NCR, Bengaluru, and Chennai, dial 98114 41111.
