New Way to Support Senior Citizens Living Alone: Home Care Attendant

Are you running on a busy schedule? Or, are you living in a different city than your parents? If your answer to any of these questions was yes – I can relate with you. Not being able to look after your parents when they are aging is a daunting experience for any child. If you are separated by geographic limits, the responsibilities just become all the trickier. When I moved from my hometown, I was pretty sure I would visit my parents every month. And in a few years, I will bring them here with me. Before I could do that, during the Diwali preparation, my dad’s leg slipped from the stool he was standing on and he fractured one of his ankle bones. Thanks to the God, he just had some back pain in the coming weeks and nothing serious. But I was full of guilt – I couldn’t be there when he was resting in home. That was when one of my colleagues asked me to think about home care attendants.

Who is a home care attendant?

Home care attendants usually tend to be trained nurses, who also doubles up as a care taker for your aging parents. This person has to be certified by the respective medical boards to be a practicing nurse and has to have had a very clear background. Home care attendants are the best alternative for you to ensure your parents are safe and healthy, back home. First and foremost – they are trained in emergency care and have natural inclination towards taking personal care of the patients. Thus, even if an unfortunate even occurs, you will have a medical professional available right there. Read more about: Health Insurance

How do you find a home care attendant?

This would largely dependent on where are your parents staying and what all medical problems are they facing. Usually, nurses working in the nearby hospitals, might get ready to work as home care attendants. The fees for such services generally tend to be higher than that of a nurse just coming to visit your parents. You might even have to make arrangements for the nurse to stay in the house. To me, getting a home care attendant was the best decision I could’ve taken. From the day she started living in our house, I started feeling a bit more relaxed. Not only this, my dad started showing great recovery. He did complain about some shoulder pain, for which she took him to a doctor. But it all turned out fine; much better than I had expected. Read more about: Senior Health Care Rider

How do you decide whether a home care attendant is good for your parents or not?

Generally, female nurses are able to take care of both male and female patients. That said, you might even go for a male nurse to help your parents in more needful hours. Initially, you should check the nurse’s license and ensure that she/he is fit to work. Then, you should go for a thorough due diligence and background check, to ensure that she/he does not have a criminal record. Once you have appointed someone to be a home care attendant, make sure you brief them thoroughly about the medical of both your parents. The best way to do this would be to make the nurse visit your family doctor, who is aware about the medical history of your parents and let the doctor brief the nurse. Now when I am working, I can pick up the phone and call my mom-dad anytime, and I will get to hear from my home care attendant that they are fine. This in itself gives me all the strength in the world. Read more about: Senior Citizen Health Insurance Insurance is the subject matter of solicitation. For more details on benefits, exclusions, limitations, terms and conditions, please read sales brochure/policy wording carefully before concluding a sale.