This is a topic that I do not think that I’ve ever covered. We try our very best to care for our clients in their homes. Sometimes they and their families ultimately make the decision to move them into a care facility. There are many factors that go into this difficult decision, and of course this does not apply to absolutely every person. There are some people who never go into a care facility. We may be able to arrange for our caregivers to go into the facility for our client. It all depends, and we encourage any family members of our clients who are considering this transition to talk to us directly about what this transition could mean for your specific family member. Another thing to keep in mind is that when writing these situations out I am almost exclusively talking about people who are experiencing some form of cognitive decline.
Their Home Being Too Unmanageable
Over time, if someone is unable to keep their home clean and safe, and they do not have enough caregiver support to do so. This may be an indicator that they would be safer in a care facility. This is of course going to be very dependent on someone’s cognitive and physical ability, and alternatives to a facility may be more frequent professional caregiver visits or that a family member moves in with the client.
Family is Unable to Provide Care
There can come a time when, for many reasons, families are no longer able to care for their loved one. These reasons can be that their loved one’s condition has become too advanced, or that the family caregiver is experiencing their own health issues. Some people may decide that the best care that their loved ones can receive is at a facility.
Loved One Needs Medical Care
Our homecare is strictly non-medical. While there are home nurses, that is not a service that we provide. Some clients progress to a point where in order to get the best care possible they need to be in a medical assisted living facility. There is no shame in that. Of course, that client may still require companionship and non-medical homecare at their facility.
This is a difficult topic, and our clients don’t always go into a facility. However, it is good to be prepared for this difficult time in case it does come.
Written by Brigid Stakelum
