Elderly Home Care Services in Singapore – The benefits of in-home care for the aging population are boundless. With elderly numbers projected to double by 2030, reliable aid in the comfort of home is vital to the health and wellness of our senior citizens. Elderly home care services offer assistance with activities of daily living, medication management, meal preparation and nutrition, housekeeping, a sense of security, and even companionship.
This program helps to ensure the person’s basic needs are met. It also provides human interaction that many seniors would otherwise go without. Unlike receiving care in nursing homes and senior living facilities, elderly home care services allow the person to retain a sense of individuality and independence.
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An alternative to long-term care facilities, home care for older people provides the necessary attention and assistance our seniors need. Caregivers provide health-sustaining aid and encouragement. These services can be broken down into the following fundamental parts.
1. Activities of Daily Living
Activities of daily living are classified as self-care tasks an individual performs to maintain physical wellness. The basic five tasks are personal hygiene, dressing, eating, toileting, and ambulation. Often, older people need assistance in performing these tasks. An in-home caregiver can ensure that these basic living needs are being met.
Personal Hygiene
Personal hygiene is fundamental to the health of all human beings. Seniors often lose the ability to remember its importance. They are also more likely to lose the ability to perform basic hygiene. An in-home caregiver would be charged with helping the senior bathe, wash and brush their hair, apply deodorant, and brush their teeth. Maintaining personal hygiene helps optimize physical and emotional health and is a core component of elderly home care services.
Dressing
Many seniors find it challenging to maneuver in and out of clothing daily. Some are no longer aware of the need for clothing. A caregiver is responsible for offering personalized options from the senior’s wardrobe and assisting the old in donning and doffing attire for the day. A caregiver can also help get shoes on and lace them if necessary. The assistant aims to rain or shine, have breakfast or bedtime, and dress appropriately and quickly.
Eating
Nutrition is a critical factor in health and wellness for all ages. Proper nutrition provides limitless benefits to the aging population. With elderly homecare services, the caregiver is tasked with delivering such nourishment. This can range from planning and preparing meals to giving cues during mealtime to physically feeding them entirely dependent.
Toileting
As the body ages, it loses its agility and stamina. The mind also falls victim to these universal injustices. When people can no longer move and comprehend with the ease they once did, using the restroom independently can become laborious, if not impossible. Elderly home care services offer one-on-one assistance with toileting at whichever stage the senior needs.
Ambulation
Being able to get from one place to another gets more challenging as we age. Ambulation tends to decline as the years tack on, causing various difficulties. In this case, a caregiver would be responsible for helping the senior transfer from lying to sitting, sitting to standing, and standing to walking. Mobility devices may also be necessary.
2. Medication Management
As people age, they will likely become more forgetful. Be it normal age-related forgetfulness or clinical dementia, the minds of the elderly are not as sharp as they once were.
This can cause difficulty remembering to take the medicine their physicians prescribe. With elderly home care services, a caregiver tracks and distributes medication to the senior, ensuring the time and accuracy of doses. Proper medication management is of vital importance. An at-home caregiver provides safety and assurance for the old’s medicine schedule.
3. Companionship
Aging reduces much more than physical health and mental sharpness for many. Aside from losing the ability to get around like they once could or solve a puzzle with youthful ease, other losses must also be accounted for. Older adults are faced with the loss of loved ones throughout the years. Many reach old age with no loved ones left at all. Some are lucky to have family and friends but must contend with the busy schedules of those they love.
For this reason, many lack daily contact with other people. This is where an in-home caregiver would help. By providing daily communication and human interaction, companionship is reached. A life-sustaining force, companionship is a crucial element of living that no one should go without. This is especially true for the aging population, who are already susceptible to isolation and loneliness.
4.Housekeeping
Most elderly homecare services offer light housekeeping. While providing personal assistance to older people, a caregiver should also be attentive to the environment within the home. An orderly and sanitary space allows for optimal living conditions. Whether washing a few dishes, sweeping up crumbs, or doing a bit of laundry, helping the seniors maintain their home helps them maintain their health.
5. Appointments and Errands
Transportation is not always accessible to older people. For this reason, caregivers are often tasked with scheduling appointments and getting the senior to and from said appointments. A caregiver may also be responsible for ushering their charge to and from the grocery store, church services, and salons. If the senior cannot run their errands independently, the caregiver will aid in the task.
Elderly Home Care Services in Singapore – Conclusion
When the oldest and wisest among us decline, we must provide them with proper and timely care. Allowing them to remain in the comforts of their own homes while receiving such care is a fundamental right. Elderly home care services assist the aging population in navigating day-to-day living in the spaces they know and love. Are you looking for professional and reliable home care services in Singapore? Contact us today!