Aged Advisor NZ

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As the new way of aging becomes more and more popular, some people are wondering just what is home care. The term home care refers to health and social services provided by trained caregivers at the homes of seniors who may need part-time or full-time care. Home care becomes an option when a senior chooses to remain in his own place but needs regular care, which his relatives and friends can no longer provide. These seniors may not be sick, but they need help with some activities of daily living. This type of senior includes those who are slowly losing the ability to care for themselves. Those who are disabled, terminally ill, recovering, and in need of medical assistance or treatment may also require in-home care.

There are at least five general categories of home care service. Some rest home care agencies may provide just a few or all of these services and a caregiver may offer more than one of these services:

Homemaker Services refer to the assistance provided in managing a senior's home such as light housekeeping, grocery shopping, changing beds and laundry. Personal Care Services refer to the assistance provided to seniors in doing some activities of daily living such as bathing, grooming, dressing, eating, toileting, and getting around. Meal Services refer to the provision of meals to seniors in their homes or in senior centers, schools, churches and other community areas. Home Health Care Services is a term used to refer to services provided to seniors who have medical problems that need to be treated at home. Home health aides provide seniors help with basic health care such as changing bandages and dressings, taking vital signs and assisting with medications. Skilled Health Care Services such as rehabilitative therapies and skilled nursing care are those provided by licensed practical nurses, registered nurses, physical, occupational, and speech therapists. When is Home Care Needed?

Knowing what is home care is only part of the equation. Knowing the right time to hire home care services is equally important. A care assessment may be needed to help determine the right time. By themselves, caregivers can assess the type of senior care needed or they can get help from a geriatric care manager.

A geriatric care manager can help assess your senior's condition by carefully examining his ability to manage activities of daily living, as well as his physical and mental health. The activities of daily living refer to the everyday jobs necessary for your senior's personal care and the proper management of his house.

The following is a checklist to help you determine the memory problems and physical limitations that affect your senior's ability to:

• Do housework, shopping, laundry, and cooking
• Perform personal care, such as bathing, grooming, dressing, and toileting
• Manage medications and medical appointments
• Deal with legal issues and personal finances

Developing an effective home care plan also requires that your senior's physical and mental health condition be carefully assessed. Getting advice from a geriatric specialist or the senior's primary care physician may be necessary to evaluate these physical and mental capacities. Some of the issues that must be considered are:

• Mobility: As a person advances in age, moving around his own house and community becomes more and more difficult for him.

• Vision: Many seniors have problems with their vision, which often leads to injuries from fall, less social interaction, depression, and lower quality of life. Since elders usually do not inform their health care providers about their vision problems, a vision screening might be necessary.

• Hearing: Many older adults also have hearing problems and this can have an effect on their quality of life. The use of assistive technology may be necessary to help them cope with this health issue. Hearing aids and cochlear implants are recommended in treating basic hearing loss, while a more specialized medical treatment may be needed for those suffering from a more serious hearing problem.

• Mental health: This is one aspect of your senior's health that is very difficult to assess. There is a thin line separating the memory problems that naturally come with growing older and those that transpire in the initial stages of dementia. Seniors with cognitive problems often show such signs as having trouble performing or completing daily tasks, being more disoriented than usual, and having difficulty remembering things which he has just recently done.

• Depression: This is another health problem that is difficult to figure out. Loss of appetite, low energy and having no interest in others can be due to a number of causes. A geriatric mental health assessment may be needed to give you a better picture of your senior's mental health and to know whether or not there is a need for home care.

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Many people with an elderly relative are confused about what they should do. One half of them wants to have their relative come to live with them, and the other wants them to go into a rest home care. There is however another alternative which you might want to consider, and that's using home care.

What is Rest Home Care?

This is a great mix between care and independence for your relative. If you find that your relative needs help to do everyday tasks, but that they are safe enough to be left by themselves for the rest of the time, then hiring someone to work in their home may be perfect. Few old people relish the thought of having to give up their home and move into a care home.

Should I use Care at Home?

Whether home care is suitable for you and your relative will depend on quite a few different things. Care at home is generally only suitable for people who need minor help and assistance doing tasks. This could be anything from getting dressed, to cooking or bathing. Quite simply, whatever the needs of your relative, you should be able to find carers to provide it in their own home.

That being said, it is not normally recommended to use care at home if the person needs round the clock attention. If your relative suffers from a serious medical condition then they may be safer and better off in a formal medical care home.

Finding Carers

When finding carers to look after your relative you do need to be careful. Understand that these people will be left alone with your family member. If your relative is particularly vulnerable then they could be at risk. It pays to be careful when choosing home care providers because there have been several shocking stories in the news lately.

You will be able to either choose a live in carer, or a carer who visits at certain times throughout the day. The latter option will be considerably more affordable, but the option you choose will depend on how much support your relative needs.

There are several websites online which compare the different home care providers. These have lots of useful reviews for you to understand exactly which care company you should consider working with.

Hiring an Agency or Direct

When choosing a carer, you will normally be able to hire a carer direct, or go through an agency. Normally it is safer to go through an agency, even though it might cost that bit more. This is because the care agency will take care of all the screening on the carer, and check they are fit for the job. The agent will also be able to send you a replacement carer if your regular one has to go away on holiday.

Putting your relative into care is nothing to be ashamed of. There comes a time in everyone's life that they need more help than you are able to provide. Spend time comparing the different options for care available so you can make the right decision.

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If you imagine yourself rocking away the boring days and lonely nights during your retirement years, you should think again. Today, retirees are too active to be considered sedentary. Forget about searching for a comfortable rocking chair and think about looking for good retirement villages. You'll soon discover there are numerous great benefits to living in a senior town, and here are a few of them.

For one, you would be living around individuals of your own age. Rules fluctuate by community, but in general, the only ones allowed to live in a retirement community are people of retirement age. You can have younger visitors when you want, and your grandchildren will be permitted to stay with you for a while, but most of the time, you won't be irritated by crying infants or noisy kids. Your neighbors will have similar interests and concerns since they are the same age as you. This provides you with more peaceful days and you will be considerably safer too.

There will be numerous social activities as well. Most senior communities have an active social calendar and buy clubhouse where you can play cards, watch movies, enjoy group meals, and simply sit and chat. Some even organize trips to nearby stores and attractions so you can visit better places even if you don’t drive any longer. In addition, there are many recreational activities to take advantage of such as working out in the community gym, golfing, swimming, trail walking, and playing tennis.

A nice advantage to senior communities is they can be more affordable. If you will be on a tight budget after you retire, you will probably find less expensive housing by some research and reviews. You will still have many alternatives relying on your preferences such as a villa, condo or rest home care. You could even look into retiring to places such as Rotorua or Whangarei where the cost of living is lot lower.

If you are fortunate, and can bear the cost of a luxury lifestyle during your retirement, you will locate some great upscale communities to consider. These are often situated in tropical climates amid lush surroundings in areas such as Auckland, Wellington, and Hamilton. These luxury communities offer resort-style amenities in the midst of luxurious surroundings where you can be pampered and catered to as much as you wish.

By deciding to live with other retired couples, you could even experience improved mental and physical health. By living a stress reduced lifestyle filled with camaraderie, socialization, and plenty of physical activity, you can ward off loneliness, depression, laziness, and the medical conditions they cause. In addition, some retirement communities’ offer graduated living so you can stay in familiar surrounding if you get ill or need to utilize assisted living or nursing care.

Retirees today are much different from just a couple of generations back. Rather than whiling away the hours on the front porch, today's seniors begin entirely new lives that are loaded with new friends, new neighbors, and a lot of energizing experiences.