Aging-in-Place Specialist: What to Ask When Hiring a Senior Caregiver
Aging in place refers to a senior citizen’s ability to live independently and comfortably in their own home as they get older. Instead of moving to a nursing home or an assisted living center, seniors and their families are tasked with creating a safe living environment at home – which may involve home modifications, community-based resources, or care services such as an aging-in-place specialist.
If your loved one is part of the 90% who have a strong desire to remain at home, hiring an aging-in-place specialist is a great way to ensure their home supports their health, safety, and well-being.
What is an Aging-in-Place Specialist?
While they don’t normally provide seniors with hands-on care, aging-in-place specialists work with seniors and their loved ones to assess their homes and recommend modifications that will allow them to remain at home longer, maintaining their independence while ensuring their safety.
To acquire an aging-in-place certification, individuals must attend training by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). This ensures they have all the essential skills needed to provide proper guidance regarding factors such as lighting, flooring, doorways, and stairways to make a home safer and more accessible. The certification also covers topics like bathroom modifications, kitchen design, and the integration of assistive technologies that can improve mobility and overall convenience for seniors.
What to Consider When Hiring a Specialist
More than proper certification, you should also look into the following when hiring a specialist to evaluate your loved one’s home:
- Experience: Inquire about their previous years of experience. Hiring a qualified and knowledgeable specialist will make the process updating your home much easier.
- Knowledge of home modifications: Ask how they would approach recommending or implementing necessary home modifications for your loved one’s safety and comfort.
- Care plan development: Understand if they will help develop a personalized care plan that suits the individual needs of your senior loved one.
- Communication: Be sure to stress the importance of staying in touch with family. The specialist should be consistently providing you with updates on your loved one and their progress.
- Support services and resources: Inquire about additional resources the specialist can provide, such as connections to other services or ongoing assessments.
- Cost: Insurance may cover the cost of bringing in a specialist, however, it’s best to confirm if there are any additional out-of-pocket costs.
Let CareBuilders at Home Help
If hiring an aging-in-place specialist doesn’t seem like enough help for your loved one, there’s also the option of working with a home care agency like CareBuilders at Home. Our compassionate caregivers are highly-skilled and eager to help your family. We offer personalized, specialized, and companion care, along with our advanced virtual care platform. Our team will collaborate with you to create a tailored care plan that meets your loved one’s unique needs, providing you with peace of mind. Whether you need hourly care, overnight support, live-in services*, or 24/7 care, we’re here to help and provide the support your family needs.
To learn more about the services we offer, where we have locations, and how we can assist your family, contact us today.
*Not available in California
