If your loved one wants to age at home but needs constant monitoring, 24-hour home care may be the solution for you. This form of home care uses a team of aides that rotate throughout the day, ensuring that someone is with your loved one at all times. You can sleep peacefully while knowing that your loved one is well-cared-for.
When should you consider using a 24-hour home care service? Read on to find out when it may be necessary to protect your loved one's health.
Your Loved One Wanders During the Night
Some people who have dementia have difficulty telling what time it is or where they're at. It doesn't matter if they're safe in their own homes, and it's visibly dark outside — the disease prevents them from recognizing the time of day or their familiar surroundings. Because of this, it's common for dementia patients to wake up in the middle of the night and start wandering.
Unfortunately, this can easily lead to falls — especially if it's dark in the home. 24-hour home care can help prevent this activity by staying by your loved one's bedside at all times while they're resting. If they want to get up, their caregiver can either help them walk or can gently direct them into going back to bed. Either way, they'll be kept safer than if they were allowed to wander on their own without being supervised.
Your Loved One Experiences Incontinence Issues While Sleeping
Some people have difficulty remaining continent throughout the night — they may often wet the bed without waking up. If this happens frequently, this can lead to their skin breaking down and becoming infected. When a 24-hour home care aide is by their bedside, they can gently awaken the patient and help them clean up. This protects your loved one's health by reducing the risk of infection.
Your Loved One Is Losing Too Much Weight
There are a number of factors that lead to elderly people losing weight rapidly. They may have difficulty eating, they may forget to eat, or they may not be eating enough during meals. Unfortunately, weight loss often has negative health outcomes for older people. It can lead to significantly reduced muscle mass, which makes them weaker and also increases the risk that they'll break a bone if they fall down.
A 24-hour home care aide can help your loved one get more nutrition in his or her diet with frequent feeding. If they're not hungry enough to eat large meals, they'll be fed more often. This can even include helping them eat during the night if they happen to be awake and alert. Likewise, they'll be reminded to eat at mealtime if they forget. This can help your loved one maintain their weight and even put on some extra pounds, if necessary.
In general, 24-hour home care is a good option when your loved one needs to be watched during the night while you're sleeping and when they need constant assistance. While it's more expensive than only hiring a home care aide for a few hours a day, the extra safety is often worth it. If your loved one needs constant care, contact a home care agency near you and ask if they offer a 24-hour constant care service.
