Planning for Long Term Care - How to Know if Home Care is Appropriate
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Posted On :
May-05-2009
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Article Word Count :
538
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Making the decision to provide a loved one with professional long-term care is a challenging and emotional one.
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Making the decision to provide a loved one with professional long-term care is a challenging and emotional one. In some cases, you may have a parent that is experiencing signs of dementia or Alzheimer’s. Or you may have a spouse that cannot take care of themselves due to a serious injury. Many people find themselves dealing with feelings of guilt for not being able to take care of their family by themselves. However, long-term care is often the most responsible decision that can be made, both for the safety of your loved one and for your own sanity. If you are faced with the challenge of determining if home care is appropriate, here are some things to consider:
Is the Individual Still Somewhat Self-Sufficient?
One of the first things to consider is whether or not your loved one is still self-sufficient? Can they handle basic needs, such as cooking and cleaning for themselves? There may be some situations where your family member can still manage these tasks and may not need full-time care. Perhaps if they had someone to come in and help with more difficult tasks a few times a week, that would be adequate. However, if your loved one cannot handle these simple responsibilities, then the lack of necessary care may be hindering their health and well-being and you may need to seriously consider long-term, in-home care.
Is the Person in Need of Care a Danger to Themselves or Others?
In many cases, people do not consider this factor until it is too late and someone has already been harmed. If your family member is suffering from an illness, such as dementia, which puts their safety (and that of others) at risk, it is very likely that person is in need of long-term care. In other situations, people may suffer from a lack of mobility that could cause them to be injured even when performing simple tasks. If you know that your loved one may potentially cause harm to themselves or others if they do not have full time care, you should seriously consider home care in this situation.
Do You Have the Patience and Knowledge Needed to Care for Your Loved One Without Assistance?
This is often one of the most difficult considerations that must be made. Most people want to take care of their loved ones themselves. You may even believe that no one else will be as patient and thorough as you will be in providing care. However, you must also be very honest with yourself. If you have a full-time job or young children at home, it may be very challenging to begin taking care of someone else in addition to your other responsibilities. Further, if your family member suffers from a disease or ailment, you may not be qualified to take care of their medical needs. In this situation, the most responsible thing that you can do is to find a caring individual to provide long-term care for your loved one.
Determining when home care is necessary can be very difficult, but it is a choice made because you want to protect your loved ones and provide them with the best care possible.
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Article Source :
http://www.articleseen.com/Article_Planning for Long Term Care - How to Know if Home Care is Appropriate_614.aspx
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Author Resource :
About Home Medical Equipment:
Medline was founded in 1966 but its roots date back 90 years when it started as a garment manufacturer. Since then, Medline has grown into America's largest privately-held national manufacturer and distributor of health care supplies and services. Today, Medline manufactures and distributes more than 100,000 medical products, encompassing medical-surgical items and one of the largest textile lines in the
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Keywords :
home medical equipment, home medical equipment supplies, home medical equipment dealers,
Category :
Home and Family
:
Home and Family
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