When families consider homecare, it’s often because an aging parent or other loved one is living alone and there are concerns about their safety or well-being. In many cases, that family member has been widowed, causing them to lean on children and/or grandchildren for support throughout the week, or they’ve been divorced from their former partner for a long period of time and require more assistance as they age.
While these situations are not uncommon, a senior doesn’t have to live alone to benefit from homecare. Living Assistance Services is pleased to work with a number of older couples as well as those who live on their own. After all, two seniors doesn’t necessarily mean less support is needed—sometimes, it means twice the help is required!
Here are three ways homecare can benefit older family members—even if they’re still living with a partner. If you have any questions or would like to learn more about high quality homecare services in Toronto, Mississauga or the surrounding areas, please contact us. We’d be pleased to speak with you.
It improves their quality of life
When you hire a Personal Support Worker (PSW) from Living Assistance Services in Toronto, you get a wide variety of benefits. Our one-on-one caregiver services include personal care (bathing, dressing, toileting, oral hygiene), meal preparation and nutritional support, assistance with mobility and transportation, light housekeeping and joyful companionship. You don’t have to live alone to benefit from these supports in your life—many seniors are able to enjoy a much higher quality of life because they’ve received consistent support from their family, partner and a small team of dedicated caregivers. If both partners in a relationship are of an advanced age, each of them may require similar or varying degrees of assistance. Our PSWs can assist both individuals in their home, working to address both of their needs over the course of a shift.
It takes pressure off the more-able partner
In some cases, one partner has significantly stronger physical and/or cognitive abilities than the other. In this scenario, the more “able” partner often serves as a live-in caregiver to their spouse. While this is a noble gesture, it can be exhausting and have a negative effect on the health and well-being of the caregiving partner. By introducing homecare services, the burden of care is redistributed and the caregiving spouse can enjoy more balance in their life. Homecare doesn’t just help the senior receiving a high level of personal support—it helps their partner, too.
Families don’t always have the complete picture
While we’d like to think we know our parents well, it’s not uncommon for older individuals to minimize their struggles when speaking with family members. This means your aging loved ones may need more care than they let on, or the more able partner may be doing significantly more caregiving work than others realize. By introducing homecare, our caregivers can assess your loved ones’ needs and ensure that they’re met, providing peace of mind to the entire family. Additionally, if one of your aging loved ones passes away, it will be easier to continue care than to introduce it to the surviving spouse during a challenging time.
Thanks for reading and please share this blog post with anyone who may find it helpful. If you’d like to speak to a member of the Living Assistance Services team or inquire about homecare services for your aging loved ones, we’re available 24/7 and can be reached by phone or email.