Beyond Health Care: Other Services That Elderly Adults Really Need
When you think of elderly care, you probably first think of health and medical services — administering medications, giving injections, and changing wound dressings. While older individuals do often need this type of care, they also need and benefit from certain types of services that are not medical in nature.
Here are four such services that you can greatly help the older adults in your life by providing, or by hiring a service to provide.
1. House Cleaning
When you're young and agile, you probably don't think of house cleaning as a very physically demanding task, but it certainly can be. You have to squat down, stretch to reach various surfaces, go up and down the stairs, and so forth. Even if your elderly loved one is technically capable of doing this cleaning, that does not necessarily mean they should be doing it. Their house may grow dirty because they don't feel up to cleaning. Hiring a service to clean for them can help preserve their health since a clean home is a healthy home.
2. Dog Walking
A dog can be great for keeping your elderly loved one company, but the dogs of older people don't always get as much exercise as they should. As such, they can get rowdy and destructive. Simply walking an elderly person's dog two or three times per week can be a huge help. Taking the dog to the dog park, if its personality is suitable, is also nice.
3. Transportation
Your loved one may insist on driving, but if their vision and judgement are starting to suffer, then it might be safer for everyone involved for you to find them an alternative transportation method. Having a ride to medical appointments also helps ensure they keep those appointments, which is vital for their ongoing health.
4. Laundry
Having clean clothing to wear is essential for your loved one. They may wear items several times because they struggle to do the washing, which can lead to skin problems and infections. Doing your elderly loved one's laundry for them can be a huge help. That way, they don't have to worry about going up and down stairs or about folding clothing.
There are elderly care services that offer all of the above, as well as health care services for older adults. Look into a service like Polish Helping Hands to make sure your loved one's needs are being met.