San Diego Senior Services Help Elders Lead Dignified Lives

Elders often find themselves dependant on their loved ones as they grow older. Statistics from Unites States Department of Health and Human Services show that in 2009, the elderly population numbered at 39.6 million. This number is projected to reach 72.1 million by 2030. An increase in the number of elderly people means there will be a greater need for in-home care, and/or elder care facilities. That also means that among all of the in-home and elder care facilities available, there will be varying levels of quality. Let’s take a look at what characteristics would constitute quality elder care.

San Diego in-home care services help elders remain in their homes and still lead an independent life. Typical in-home care givers will provide services that include bathing, grooming, help with cooking, cleaning, laundry, and perhaps administer medications. Well established in-home care agencies can offer more. A quality, in-home care service will be able to escort the senior to appointments or social events, do the grocery shopping, handle pet care, and will offer a wide variety of other services. When looking for a quality in-home care agency be sure to ask for a complete list of their in-home care services.

Most In-home care givers can be hired from a few hours a week up to 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Quality caregivers should have undergone comprehensive training in order to support seniors for just about every non-medical need. You will need to ask the in-home care agency what level of training is given to their care givers. If the senior is no longer able to stay with in-home care, quality elder care agencies will help families find assisted living placements.

Elderly people often lose touch with their peers and extended families as they grow older, and tend to become isolated. Loneliness combined with being embarrassed about their decreasing ability to perform basic daily tasks can lead to depression. To counteract this possibility, quality in-home care givers also offer seniors friendly and supportive companionship through conversations and interaction. Ask if the in-home care agency encourages their care givers to join in a game of cards, or discuss favorite books and movies.

Another advantage of hiring services from an established in-home care agency is that good agencies follow an elaborate process of screening before hiring their employees. Senior care givers are bonded, insured, and covered by the Worker’s Compensation Act. Contracting with an established in-home care agency is preferable to hiring a private caregiver. The additional tasks of screening, hiring, firing, arranging income tax withholding, and providing insurance coverage for a private caregiver often falls on the adult child.

To look for a quality in-home care agency, ask for referrals from friends, family, and your senior’s physician. Your local San Diego Senior Service organization is a great place to look for referrals, too.

Adult children who find that it’s no longer safe for their parents to live alone can use the services of assisted living organizations. Given the many choices of assisted living facilities in San Diego, families often find it overwhelming to choose an organization that’s best suited for their parent. You might find

help by looking for a senior service organization that offers assisted living placement referrals. Most senior services strongly suggest the family look for an assisted living facility before it is needed. If an emergency situation should arise, the last thing the family needs is to find an assisted living facility in a hurry.

Assisted living placement services will differ from company to company but the best ones will come to the elder’s house. They will interview the senior, and compile a list of the senior’s requirements and wishes. Then, they will find 3 – 4 assisted living facilities that seem best suited to the senior. As an added service, they will take the senior and the senior’s family on a tour of these top assisted living choices. The family will be able to make their decision based on this assisted living placement research. All this should be offered as a complimentary service with no charge to the family.

For more information, please visit: www.alwaysbestcaresandiego.com